I.    and    II.    Col.    Franklin    A.    Denison    and    Lt.    Col.    Otis    B.    Duncan, 

the  highest  ranking  colored  officers  in  France.     III.   Col.   Charles  Young, 

the    highest   ranking    colored   officer    in    the    United    States   Army.      IV. 

Major  Rufus  M.  Stokes.     V.  Major  Joseph   H.  Ward. 


Two  Colored  Women 
With  the  American 
Expeditionary  Forces 


By 
ADDIE  W.  HUNTON 

and 

KATHRYN  M.  JOHNSON 


Illustrated 


BBOOKLYN    EAGLE    PRESS 

BROOKLYN,    NEW   YORK 


SSOS06 


Dedicated  to  the  women  of  OUT 
race,  who  gave  so  trustingly  and 
courageously  the  strongest  of 
their  young  manhood  to  suffer 
and  to  die  for  the  cause  of 
freedom. 


With  recognition  and  thanks  to  the  authors  quoted  in 
this  volume  and  to  the  men  of  the  A.  E.  F.  who  have 
contributed  so  willingly  and  largely  to  the  story  herein 
related. 


Contents 


f  FOREWORD 5 

fTHE  CALL  AND  THE  ANSWER 9 

fFiRST  DAYS  IN  FRANCE 15 

*THE  Y.M.C.A.  AND  OTHER  WELFARE  ORGANIZATIONS    22 

*THE  COMBATANT  TROOPS 41 

fNON-COMBATANT  TROOPS 96 

fPiONEER  INFANTRIES  112 

fOvER  THE  CANTEEN  IN  FRANCE 135 

•{•THE  LEAVE  AREA 159 

*RELATIONSHIPS  WITH  THE  FRENCH 182 

*EDUCATION    199 

fTHE  SALVATION  OF  Music  OVERSEAS 217 

*RELJGIOUS  LIFE  AMONG  THE  TROOPS 227 

f REBURYING  THE  DEAD 233 

fSTRAY  DAYS 241 

*AFTERTHOUGHT   .  253 


t  By  Addie  W.   Hunton. 
*  By  Kathryn    M.    Johnson. 


Foreword 

T3EMARKABLE  achievements  are  worthy  of  remarka- 
AX  ble  acclaim.  This  justifies  our  desire  to  add  still 
another  expression  to  those  already  written  relative  to 
the  career  of  the  colored  American  soldiers  in  the  late 
World  War.  The  heroic  devotion  and  sacrifice  of  that 
career  have  won  appreciative  expressions  from  those 
who,  from  a  personal  point  of  view,  know  but  little  of 
the  details.  How  much  more  then  should  they  who 
walked  side  by  side  with  those  brave  men  in  France 
realize  the  merit  of  their  service  and  chant  their  praises. 
Surely  they  should  be  best  able  to  interpret  sincerely 
and  sympathetically,  lovingly  and  gratefully  for  our  sol- 
diers, as  they  may  not  for  themselves,  something  of  the 
vicissitudes  through  which  they  passed  as  members  of 
the  American  Expeditionary  Forces. 

We  feel,  too,  that  almost  fifteen  months  of  continuous 
service  that  carried  us  practically  over  all  parts  of 
France,  and  afforded  a  heart  to  heart  touch  with  thou- 
sands of  men,  is  a  guarantee  of  the  knowledge  and  de- 
votion that  has  inspired  this  volume. 

Memories  will  ever  crowd  the  mind  and  cause  the  eye 
to  kindle  with  the  light  of  loving  sympathy  as  we  recall 
our  months  of  service  at  the  base  of  supplies  on  the 
coast  of  France.  For  there  we  were  privileged  to  learn 
something  of  the  life  and  spirit  of  the  stevedores,  labor 
battalions  and  engineers- — more  than  25,000  of  them — 
who,  through  all  the  desolate  days  of  war,  never  ceased 
in  their  efforts  to  connect  America  with  Chateau  Thierry, 
Verdun,  Sedan,  St.  Mihiel  and  other  great  battle  centers 
of  France.  There  we  beheld  combat  troops,  filled  with 
the  spirit  of  adventure  arriving  fresh  from  America  to 
follow  the  trail  to  the  already  warworn  front.  And 
there  came  also  those  regiments  that  we  called  Pioneer 
Infantries,  the  imprints  of  whose  deeds  of  duty  and  dar- 
ing are  stamped  all  over  France. 


We  followed  our  depot  companies  and  engineers 
through  those  isolated  stretches  and  wastes  where  they 
performed  tasks  so  essential  in  the  plans  for  victory. 

After  many  months  we  went  away  from  the  confusion 
of  war  to  beautiful  southern  France.  There  we  worked 
to  make  happy  the  days  of  the  men  who  came  for  rest 
and  recreation  to  that  wonderful  Alpine  region  of  Savoie. 
There  in  the  Leave  Area,  by  the  side  of  shimmering  Lake 
Bourget,  we  learned  something  more  of  the  life  of  our 
soldiers  as  they  fought  or  worked  on  French  soil.  Every 
week,  for  five  months  or  more,  a  thousand  or  so  men 
poured  into  Chambery  and  Challes-les-Eaux,  and  we 
saw  in  them  the  gladness  or  depression  of  their  service. 

Far  to  the  North  we  took  our  way,  over  devastated 
areas,  and  dwelt  midst  the  loneliness  of  poppy-covered 
fields  in  "No  Man's  Land."  In  those  Cities  of  die  Dead, 
we  beheld  our  soldiers  summoned  to  the  supreme  test  of 
their  loyalty  and  patience  in  the  re-burying  of  the  fallen 
American  heroes. 

Back  again  to  the  coast  we  went  to  join  in  the  great 
"Battle  of  Brest" — the  battle  for  the  morale  of  the  tired, 
anxious  soldier  waiting  for  transportation  back  to  home 
and  native  friendships.  For  six  weeks,  from  early  morn- 
ing to  midnight,  our  huts  at  Pontanezen  echoed  to  the 
tread  of  thousands  of  feet.  During  that  period  it  is  esti- 
mated that  fifty  thousand  colored  soldiers  passed  through 
the  camp.  Battle  scenes  and  war  adventures  were  ended, 
but  the  memory  was  yet  deeply  poignant,  and  often 
silences  revealed  the  depths  of  experiences  beyond  the 
power  of  all  words.  Because  of  all  this,  we  strive  to 
numbly  recount  the  heart  throbs  of  our  heroes. 

Again  the  authors  have  written  because  to  them  it  was 
given  to  represent  in  France  the  womanhood  of  our  race 
in  America — those  fine  mothers,  wives,  sisters  and  friends 
who  so  courageously  gave  the  very  flower  of  their  young 
manhood  to  face  the  ravages  of  war.  That  we  then 
should  make  an  effort  to  interpret  with  womanly  com- 
prehension the  loyalty  and  bravery  of  their  men  seems 
not  only  a  slight  recompense  for  all  they  have  given,  but 
an  imperative  duty. 


We  believe  that  undervaluation  is  a  more  subtle  and 
unkind  foe  than  overvaluation,  so  that  we  have  not  re- 
frained in  our  story  from  a  large  measure  of  praise  for 
a  large  measure  of  loyal  and  patriotic  service,  performed 
ofttimes  under  the  most  trying  conditions. 

We  have  had  no  desire  to  attain  to  an  authentic  history, 
but  have  rather  aimed  to  record  our  impressions  and 
facts  in  a  simple  way.  But  wherever  historical  facts 
have  been  used,  it  has  been  largely  to  justify  the  measure 
of  praise  accorded  and  to  offset  the  criticisms  of  preju- 
diced minds. 

This  volume  is  written  at  a  time  when,  after  the  shock 
of  terrific  warfare,  the  world  has  not  yet  found  its  balance 
— when,  in  the  midst  of  confusion,  justice  and  truth  call 
loudly  for  the  democracy  for  which  we  have  paid. 
/  If  for  all  time  the  world  is  to  be  free  from  the  murder- 
ous scourge  called  war,  it  must  make  universal  and 
eternal  the  practical  application  of  the  time-worn  theory 
of  the  brotherhood  of  man.  May  this  volume  written  in 
all  love  and  truth,  though  perhaps  imperfectly,  serve  to 
lift  some  souls  nearer  to  this  ideal. 


THE  POTENT  HOUR 


The  hour  is  big  with  sooth  and  sign,  with  errant  men 
at  war. 

While  blood  of  alien,  friend  and  foe,  imbues  the  land  afar, 

And  we  with  sable  faces  pent,  move  with  the  vanguard 
line, 

Shod  with  a  faith  that  springtime  keeps  and  all  the  stars 
opine. 

GEORGIA  DOUGLAS  JOHNSON. 


The  Call  and  the  Answer 


THE  great  thrilling,  throbbing  spirit  of  war 
did  not  reach  the  United  States  until  that 
memorable  spring  of  1918.  Then  it  came  in  a 
mighty  tidal  wave  of  vitalized  force  and  energy. 
Our  country,  woefully  late,  was  at  last  awakened 
to  terrific  speed.  Great  human  cargoes  and 
innumerable  tons  of  supplies  held  transports  and 
ships  to  their  guards.  Cities,  towns  and  villages 
were  suddenly  transformed  into  great  inspirational 
centers  of  war  activity.  Meanwhile  we  were  watch- 
ing the  map  of  France,  noting  with  deep  anxiety 
the  stubborn  resistance  of  the  war-weary  French  to 
the  slow  but  certain  advance  of  the  enemy.  Once 
again  it  moved  with  pitiless  and  determined  face 
toward  Paris — the  heart  stream  of  all  France. 
Although  General  Joffre  had  once  checked  the 
German  raiders  and  sent  them  to  confusion  and 
death,  their  lesson  was  not  yet  learned  and  they 
were  again  throwing  human  force  against  the  prin- 
ciples of  right.  But  now  that  so  many  of  the 
heroes  of  France  had  fallen,  how  would  the  foe 
be  met?  Surely  there  was  urgent  need  of  a  strong 
army  to  stand  at  the  Marne  once  again. 

The  American  Forces  already  in  France  were 
calling  not  only  for  help,  but  haste.  Suddenly, 
we  found  ourselves  included  in  this  call  with  pass- 
port in  hand.  Not  all  at  once  did  its  full  signifi- 
cance come  to  us,  but  in  those  waiting  days,  as  we 
sat  at  our  desk  and  tried  to  concentrate  on 


TWO    COLORED    WOMEN    WITH    THE    A.    E.    F. 

war-work  at  home,  quite  unconsciously,  we  would 
find  the  passport  in  our  hands  and  our  eyes  search- 
ing the  war  map  on  the  wall.  Slowly  we  began  to 
realize  that  we  were  to  make  an  effort  to  reach 
"over  there"  where  thousands  of  our  own  men  had 
gone  and  other  thousands  must  go. 

Then  one  dark  afternoon,  as  the  rain  came  down 
in  torrents,  the  buzz  of  the  telephone  at  our  elbow 
told  us  our  time  had  come.  We  asked  no  questions, 
for  those  were  days  of  deep  secrecy,  but  looked  for 
the  last  time  at  the  war  map  in  the  office — studied 
it  as  never  before,  wondering  where  in  that  war- 
wrecked  country  across  the  Atlantic  we  would  find 
our  place  of  service.  We  breathed  a  little  prayer, 
said  good-bye  to  our  fellow  workers,  knowing 
that  tomorrow  we  would  be  on  the  ocean  eastward 
bound  and  went  out  to  meet  her  who  was  to  try 
the  unknown  with  us  and  who  would  prove  the 
faithful  companion  of  all  our  "overseas"  life. 
There  was  no  sleep  that  night  for  us;  friends  came 
and  went,  and  two  ever  faithful  ones  lingered  lov- 
ingly for  the  last  possible  service. 

Of  necessity,  in  those  days,  there  were  strict  laws 
and  many  sentries  at  the  docks,  so  that  when 
we  entered  there  was  little  hope  of  rejoining  our 
loved  ones  for  a  second  adieu.  We  took  the  pre- 
caution, however,  to  beg  them  to  wait  for  a  final 
sign  of  parting  and  while  going  through  the 
ordeal  of  having  baggage  examined  and  passed, 
learned  that  our  sailing  time  had  been  delayed  four 
hours.  We  determined  upon  an  effort  to  rejoin 
those  waiting  so  patiently  outside  the  dock.  Making 

10 


TWO    COLORED    WOMEN    WITH    THE    A.    E.    F. 

a  wide  detour,  we  passed  quietly  by  the  sentry  who 
was  striding  to  and  fro  with  gun  on  his  shoulder. 
Now  whether  he  could  not  quite  grasp  the  fact  that 
colored  women  were  really  going  to  join  the 
American  Expeditionary  Forces,  or  had  seen  the 
close  clinging  hug  given  one  of  the  women  by  the 
little  lad  and  lassie  near  him — or  whether  the 
twinkle  in  our  eye  did  it,  we  do  not  know — but 
we  passed,  and  in  that  very  act  much  of  the  sad- 
ness of  our  parting  was  removed.  We  rode  across 
Fourteenth  Street,  a  jolly  party,  had  our  lunch 
and  returned  to  the  dock,  where  from  an  upper 
pier  with  smiles  and  tears  all  mingled,  we  waved 
a  final  adieu. 

How  wonderful  is  love  at  such  a  time!  There 
they  stood  lovingly  and  lingeringly — the  cousin  of 
one  of  us  who  had  come  all  the  way  from  the 
Middle  West  for  this  leave-taking;  two  brave 
children  with  the  dear  little  woman  whose  true  and 
tried  devotion  made  us  know  that  she  would  mother 
them  as  her  own  till  we  came  back  to  take  her 
place;  and  that  other  friend  with  whom  we  had 
crossed  in  peaceful  days,  joyously  roaming  over 
England  and  the  Continent.  That  last  picture 
remained  with  us,  to  cheer  us  for  all  the  months  of 
our  absence. 

And  now  there  was  no  turning  back.  Months 
ago  the  war  zone  was  just  six  hundred  miles  from 
the  coast  of  France — but  now  the  United  States  was 
at  war,  and  as  we  stepped  on  the  gang  plank,  war- 
zone  passes  were  surrendered.  We  were  crusaders 

11 


TWO    COLORED    WOMEN    WITH    THE    A.    E.    F. 

on  a  quest  for  Democracy!  How  and  where  would 
that  precious  thing  be  found? 

What  a  spectacle  was  that  sun-lit  bit  of  New  York 
harbor  that  June  afternoon!  All  about  us  were 
transports  filled  with  khaki-clad  men,  crowding 
port  holes,  every  bit  of  deck  and  perched  on  every 
beam.  These  thousands  of  youths  of  fearless  and 
deathless  spirit,  would  quickly  follow  us  over  there, 
and  many  of  them,  in  war's  thunderous  tumult, 
quickly  pay  the  supreme  sacrifice.  How  they 
whistled,  sang  and  cheered  as  our  little  French 
liner,  Espagne,  steamed  slowly  away  from  them 
to  brave  alone  the  sea  peril  of  that  time! 

First  to  the  south  and  then  to  the  east  we  sailed 
over  seas  of  glass,  with  never  a  storm  or  gale,  but 
tremendous  speed.  They  were  cheerful  days, 
although  they  were  ever-watchful  ones,  with  life- 
belts close  at  hand.  No  lights  showed  on  deck  at 
night  nor  on  the  whole  horizon.  Yes,  just  once! 
By  the  big  blazing  cross  at  the  foremast,  we  saw 
the  form  of  a  hospital  ship,  bringing  its  toll  of 
human  wreckage  to  the  waiting  hands  and  hearts  of 
its  native  heath. 

For  all  the  trip  there  was  no  anxious  face  or 
word  that  revealed  the  danger  that  so  constantly 
lurked  near  us.  Even  the  frequent  summons  for 
life-boat  drills  were  answered  with  mirthful  banter. 
An  unfailing,  kindly  courtesy,  and,  in  many  cases, 
real  comradeship  marked  the  fellow-workers  with 
whom  we  crossed.  Perhaps  it  was  due  to  the  quiet 
but  wonderful  personality  of  the  leader  of  this 
group.  Mr.  William  Sloane,  Chairman  of  the 

12 


TWO    COLORED    WOMEN    WITH    THE    A.    E.    f. 

War  Council  of  the  Young  Men's  Christian  Associa- 
tion. The  four  hundred  Polish  recruits  entertained 
us  with  song,  verse  and  dance;  while  usually  we  had 
music  and  movies  in  the  salon.  Our  Sunday  after- 
noon at  sea,  we  sat  in  the  dining  salon  with  the  sun's 
rays  stealing  through  the  closed  portholes  and  fall- 
ing upon  us  in  long,  flickering,  gold  lines.  Dr. 
Henry  S.  Coffin  talked  to  us  in  his  forceful  way  of 
heroes  of  old.  Some  one  sang  "Speed  Away,"  and 
then  there  was  a  triumphal  outburst  of  "Eternal 
Father  Strong  to  Save!"  The  morning  of  the  ninth 
day  we  entered  the  Gironde  River  and  steamed 
slowly  between  vine-clad  heights,  overtopped  by 
stately  chateaux;  between  flowering  meadows,  with 
picturesque  villas,  up  to  Bordeaux.  It  was  thus 
we  "Answered  the  Call." 


13 


That  for  which  millions  prayed  and  sighed, 
That  for  which  ten  thousands  fought, 

For  which  so  many  freely  died, 
God  cannot  let  it  come  to  naught. 

JAMES  WELDON  JOHNSON. 


14 


First  Days  in  France 


THERE  are  many  American  boys  now  who  are 
quite  familiar  with  the  Louvre,  Boulevards, 
Notre  Dame  and  Napoleon's  Tomb  at  Paris  but 
who  know  absolutely  nothing  of  the  Metropolitan 
Museum,  Fifth  Avenue  and  its  Cathedral,  or  Grant's 
Tomb.  The  many  ports  of  France  were  particu- 
larly the  home  of  the  colored  soldiers,  so  that 
landing  at  Bordeaux  it  did  not  seem  strange  to  be 
greeted  first  of  all  by  our  own  men.  But  it  did 
seem  passing  strange  that  we  should  see  them 
guarding  German  prisoners!  Somehow  we  felt  that 
colored  soldiers  found  it  rather  refreshing — even 
enjoyable  for  a  change — having  come  from  a 
country  where  it  seemed  everybody's  business  to 
guard  them. 

Bordeaux  was  singularly  the  home  of  colored 
soldiers.  They  were  in  the  camps  there  by  the 
thousands.  In  fact,  as  we  landed  at  Bordeaux, 
it  seemed  every  man's  home.  So  crowded  and 
varied  was  its  population,  one  could  almost  believe 
that  during  the  nine  days  of  silence  on  the  ocean, 
Paris  had  been  passed  by  the  enemy.  There  were 
many  Colonial  troops,  Chinese  laborers  and,  more 
or  less  maimed  French  soldiers.  The  French  gov- 
ernment had  been  removed  to  that  city  in  which  the 
blending  of  the  finest  in  old  and  new  architecture 
made  it  a  charming  substitute  for  Paris.  Sitting  in 
the  park  that  evening,  looking  out  upon  the  teeming 
life  about  us,  with  crowds  of  black-robed  women 

2  15 


TWO    COLORED    WOMEN    WITH    THE    A.    E.    F. 

and  helpless  soldiers'  filling  in  the  picture,  there 
came  to  us.  our  first  definite  realization  of  the  cost 
of  war. 

Our  first  dinner  in  France,  with  butter  and  real 
ice  cream,  was  an  unfortunate  delusion,  for  it  in 
•no  way  prepared  us  for  all  the  lean  days  to  follow. 
Especially  not  for  the  war-breakfast  the  next  morn- 
ing— a  thick  piece  of  dark  bread,  a  hard-boiled 
egg  and  a  cup  of  black  coffee — all  thrown  at  us 
in  unsweetened  confusion;  for  while  we  waited  for 
sugar,  we  were  informed  that  for  the  future  we 
must  use  a  liquid  substitute  supplied  us  in  bottles. 

But  Paris  was  our  destination,  and  we  rode  all 
day  over  that  part  of  France  so  full  of  historical 
memories — past  Tours  with  its  Cathedral  of  Royal 
Staircase  and  Towers;  past  Blois  with  its  chateau 
of  historical  pre-eminence;  past  Orleans,  over 
which  the  spirit  of  Jeanne  d'Arc  eternally  hovers — 
on  to  Paris. 

Rue  d'Aguesseau!  Who  does  not  know  it  now! 
That  short,  narrow  street  made  famous  by  the 
Young  Men's  Christian  Association.  For  there 
were  the  Headquarters  of  that  organization  for  all 
its  vast  service  to  the  American  Expeditionary 
Forces.  It  was  to  12  Rue  d'Aguesseau  that  the 
precious  letters  from  home  were  sent.  There,  in 
the  crowded  foyer,  they  were  read  and  often 
answered.  There  friends  were  met  and  conferences 
held.  How  can  any  Y  secretary  who  went 
through  it  all  ever  forget  the  intricate  processes  of 
"Movement  Orders"  and  "Transportation"  that 
somehow  carried  one  all  over  the  building  and 

16 


1.  The   Park  at   Bordeaux.      2.  The   Foyer   at   the   Y.   M.    C.   A.    Head- 
quarters, Paris. 


TWO    COLORED    WOMEN    WITH    THE    A.    E.    F. 

included  several  excursions  from  the  first  to  the 
fifth  floor,  with  the  perverse  little  elevator  generally 
out  of  order!  Really  it  was  far  better  named 
ascenseur,  for  when  on  rare  occasions  it  did  re- 
spond to  the  push  of  the  button  and  take  one  up, 
there  was  always  the  warning  sign  not  to  descend 
in  it. 

It  was  always  necessary  to  report  to  the  Paris 
Headquarters  in  changing  one's  base  of  service. 
Hence,  we  have  several  distinct  pictures  of  the  city 
as  we  saw  it  at  different  intervals  during  our  fifteen 
months  in  France.  We  remember  Paris  at  Chris- 
mas  time,  1918,  when  President  Wilson  had  but 
recently  arrived  there;  when  the  forces  that  had 
for  so  long  fought  against  cold  and  darkness  were 
triumphant  at  last.  Warmth  and  light  flooded  the 
very  soul  of  the  city.  The  American  was  the 
dominating  figure,  but  the  French  were  riotously 
happy,  for  peace  had  come — a  Victorious  Peace! 
We  remember,  too,  the  Paris  of  the  late  summer 
of  1919,  when  after  her  great  victory  parade — in 
which  all  the  victors  participated  except  our  own 
colored  soldiers — she  began  to  realize  her  real 
condition.  The  foreigners  had  mostly  gone  and  the 
lights  were  less  brilliant  than  in  winter.  It  was  a 
quiet  but  wise  Paris,  bravely  facing  her  tremendous 
work  of  reconstruction.  But  the  saddest  picture 
was  our  first.  It  was  the  summer  of  1918,  Paris 
was  again  in  the  war  zone.  We  entered  a  city  of 
darkness  and  our  taxicab  literally  felt  its  way  to 
the  hotel.  Here  and  there  dim  green  lights,  heavily 
hooded,  peeped  out  at  us,  and  we  learned  that 

17 


TWO    COLORED    WOMEN    WITH    THE    A.    E.    F. 

they  were  simply  guides  to  caves  for  those  unhappy 
wayfarers  caught  beneath  the  enemy's  shell.  On 
that  June  night,  the  great  Gare  d'Orsay  was  a 
seething  mass  of  aristocracy,  peasantry  and  sol- 
diers. The  same  was  true  of  all  other  railroad 
stations,  for  soldiers  were  forcing  their  way  to  the 
front  and  refugees  their  way  to  the  rear.  But  all 
life  seemed  concentrated  in  those  terminals;  over 
the  city  itself  there  was  deep  silence.  Even  the 
days  were  heavy  with  dark  forebodings.  The 
French  went  quietly  to  their  business  by  day  and 
to  their  cellars  by  night,  as  the  Germans  menaced 
and  shattered  with  shell  and  bomb.  The  day  of 
the  British  and  Belgian  soldiers  in  Paris  had  almost 
passed — that  of  the  American  scarce  begun.  The 
many  French  soldiers  one  saw  there  were,  for  the 
most  part,  heartbreaking  in  their  poor  torn  bodies. 
We  had  just  seen  the  children  at  Bordeaux  who 
used  to  play  among  the  flowers  and  marble  statues 
of  the  parks  and  look  from  the  windows  now  close- 
shuttered.  We  looked  in  vain  in  the  Louvre,  Notre 
Dame  and  other  repositories  for  their  priceless 
treasures,  but  they  were  hidden,  and  ugly  sandbags 
hugged  the  architecture  against  the  ruthless  attacks 
of  the  foe.  True,  the  shop-keeper  tried  to  extol 
and  press  her  wares  upon  us  as  of  old,  but,  with  the 
above  picture  before  us,  bread  tickets  in  our  hands 
and  meatless  days,  we  felt  most  keenly  that  it  was 
not  the  Paris  in  which,  just  ten  years  before,  we  had 
lived  so  joyously  for  many  weeks.  It  was  a  bleed- 
ing, war-harassed  city  with  its  deadly  foe  pressing 
upon  it.  But  faith  at  Paris  was  not  wholly  dead; 

18 


TWO    COLORED    WOMEN    WITH    THE    A.    E.    F. 

the  spirit  of  Jeanne  d'Arc  still  lived  and  Saint 
Genevieve  still  kept  faithful  vigil  through  the  long 
dark  hours  of  waiting.  To  such  a  Paris  we  went, 
and  somehow  seemed  a  part  of  it.  The  warning 
of  the  siren,  air-battles  by  night  and  "Big  Bertha" 
bombs  by  day  were  accepted  as  a  part  of  grim  war. 
Meanwhile  we  prepared  for  work  in  the  camp. 

Those  last  days  in  America  and  first  days  in 
France  brought  us  into  close  touch  with  the  fine 
spirits  who  guided  the  women's  work  for  the  War 
Council  of  the  Young  Men's  Christian  Association. 
In  the  United  States,  we  had  gathered  inspiration 
and  vision  for  our  service  from  the  highly  efficient 
and  spiritual  chairman — Mrs.  F.  Louis  Slade. 
Closely  associated  with  Mrs.  Slade  was  Mrs.  Elsie 
Meade,  whose  warm  sympathy  and  steady  hand 
was  such  a  comfort,  first,  to  the  out-going  women 
in  America,  and  later  in  France  with  its  ever- 
changing  camp  life.  There  was  Miss  Crawford, 
whose  alert  service  and  cheerful  word  in  the  office 
at  home  and  in  France  meant  so  much  to  the  Y 
woman  who  sought  information.  Our  first  assign- 
ment in  France  was  made  by  Mrs.  Theodore  Roose- 
velt, Jr.,  and  the  second  by  Miss  Ella  Sachs,  both 
of  whom  gave  to  the  Young  Men's  Christian  Asso- 
ciation a  wealth  of  devoted  service — purely  for 
the  love  of  their  country.  There  was  Miss  Martha 
McCook,  who  for  so  long  stood  so  faithfully  at 
the  head  of  the  women's  personnel  abroad.  Who 
of  the  secretaries  will  ever  forget  Dr.  Cockett? 
Giving  herself  first  to  pioneer  work  in  the  camp,  she 

19 


TWO    COLORED    WOMEN    WITH    THE    A.    E.    F. 

afterwards  stood  as  a  tower  of  strength  and  knowl- 
edge to  the  newly-arrived  secretary.  Last  but  not 
least  came  Mrs.  W.  L.  Wright,  with  her  under- 
standing and  appreciation  of  the  colored  unit  in 
France. 

The  colored  women  who  served  overseas  had  a 
tremendous  strain  placed  upon  their  Christian 
ideals — but  the  officials  whom  we  have  mentioned, 
one  and  all,  as  did  now  and  then  a  regional  secre- 
tary like  Miss  Susanne  Ridgeway  at  St.  Nazaire, 
Miss  Harris  at  Aix-les-Bains  or  the  Misses  Watson 
and  Shaw  at  Brest,  helped  them  to  keep  their  faith 
in  the  democracy  of  real  Christian  service. 

A  whole  volume  of  interest  centers  about  those 
two  weeks  in  Paris.  The  conferences  from  which 
we  gathered  facts  and  details  that  would  find  prac- 
tical expression  on  the  field;  the  meeting  of  old 
friends  and  the  making  of  new;  the  full  realization 
of  the  restrictions  of  the  army  and  its  penalties 
for  disobedience;  the  fortitude  and  fineness  of  the 
French — all  this  and  more  crowded  upon  us  in 
those  days  and  wonderfully  strengthened  us  for 
our  task.  And  then,  one  day,  one  of  us  faced 
toward  Brest  and  the  other  toward  St.  Nazaire  to 
love  and  serve  our  men  at  those  ports. 


20 


All  honor  is  due  the  faithful  men  and  women  of  both 
races  at  home,  who  by  a  great  expenditure  of  time, 
money  and  energy,  made  possible  the  operation  of  the 
great  plan  of  bringing  comfort  and  relief  to  the  soldiers 
through  the  Welfare  Organizations  overseas.  And  while 
there  was  disappointment  in  the  hopes  of  many  an 
honest  heart,  in  that  there  were  prejudices  and  discrimina- 
tions often  shown  to  the  colored  race,  and  sometimes  in- 
justices to  the  soldiers  of  both  races,  still,  the  army 
would  have  been  a  barren  place  had  these  institutions 
not  existed.  The  great  good  that  was  done  gives  much 
hope  for  the  possibilities  of  organized  welfare  effort  in 
the  future. 


21 


The  Y.  M.  C.  A.  and  Other  Welfare 
Organizations 


IT  was  our  privilege  to  go  overseas  as  welfare 
worker  under  the  auspices  of  the  Y.  M.  C.  A., 
and  from  the  time  we  entered  active  duty  until  we 
finished  our  work  at  Camp  Pontanezen,  we  can 
conscientiously  say  that  we  had  the  greatest  oppor- 
tunity for  service  that  we  have  ever  known;  service 
that  was  constructive,  and  prolific  with  wonderful 
and  satisfying  results. 

The  contact  with  a  hundred  thousand  men,  many 
of  whom  it  was  our  privilege  to  help  in  a  hundred 
different  ways;  men  who  were  groping  and  dis- 
couraged; others  who  were  crying  loudly  for  help, 
that  they  might  acquire  just  the  rudiments  of  an 
education,  and  so  establish  connection  with  the 
anxious  hearts  whom  they  had  left  behind ;  and  still 
others  who  had  a  depth  of  understanding  and  a 
breadth  of  vision  that  was  at  once  a  help  and  an 
inspiration. 

It  was  a  wonderful  spirit  that  prompted  the 
Y.  M.  C.  A.  to  offer  its  vast  facilities  to  this  service ; 
to  cheer  and  encourage;  to  administer  to  the  spir- 
itual and  physical  needs;  and  to  establish  a  con- 
necting link  between  the  soldier  and  the  home;  that 
home  which  ever  kept  for  him  a  beckoning  candle 
in  the  window,  and  a  fire  that  was  ever  aglow. 

And  no  less  wonderful  was  the  spirit  of  the  Red 
Cross,  the  Salvation  Army,  the  Knights  of  Colum- 

22 


TWO    COLORED    WOMEN    WITH    THE    A.    E.    F. 

bus,  the  Jewish  Welfare  Board,  and  the  Y.  W.  C.  A. 

For  the  privilege  of  serving  in  this  capacity  we 
shall  ever  be  grateful,  and  not  only  for  the  privi- 
lege of  service,  but  for  the  privilege  of  contact 
with  a  wonderful  and  soulful  people;  for  the  privi- 
lege of  seeing  their  beautiful  gardens,  their  fertile 
fields,  their  snowcapped  mountains  and  winding 
rivers;  for  the  privilege  of  gathering  inspiration 
from  their  wealth  of  architectural  beauty,  their 
wonderful  art  galleries  and  cultural  centers;  and 
for  the  privilege  of  serving  in  even  the  smallest 
way  to  help  in  the  preservation  of  the  treasures  of 
this  wonderful  civilization,  for  the  generations  of 
the  future. 

But  to  help  to  mar  the  beauty  and  joy  of  this 
service  was  ever-present  war,  with  its  awful  toll  of 
death  and  suffering;  and  then  the  service  of  the 
colored  welfare  workers  was  more  or  less  clouded 
at  all  times  with  that  biting  and  stinging  thing 
which  is  ever  shadowing  us  in  our  own  country, 
and  which  marked  our  pathway  through  all  our 
joyous  privilege  of  giving  the  best  that  was  within 
us  of  labor  and  devotion. 

j  Upon  our  arrival  in  Paris  we  met  Mr.  Matthew 
Bullock  and  his  staff  of  four  secretaries,  includ- 
ing the  first  colored  woman,  who  had  been  ordered 
home  as  persona  non  grata  to  the  army;  this  was 
done  on  recommendation  of  army  officials  in  Bor- 
deaux, who  had  brought  from  our  southland  their 
full  measure  of  sectional  prejudice. 

This  incident  resulted  in  the  detention  of  many 
secretaries,  both  men  and  women,  from  sailing  for 

23 


TWO    COLORED    WOMEN    WITH    THE    A.    E.    F. 

quite  a  period  of  time,  and  no  more  women  came 
for  nearly  ten  months,  thus  leaving  three  colored 
women  to  spread  their  influence  as  best  they  could 
among  150,000  men. 

An  incident,  in  some  respects  similar,  occurred 
in  connection  with  the  work  in  the  city  of  Brest. 
During  the  days  when  it  became  the  greatest  em- 
barkation port  in  France,  at  times  there  were  as 
many  as  forty  thousand  men  of  color,  at  Camp 
Pontanezen,  waiting  for  transportation  home,  and 
up  until  about  the  18th  of  June,  1919,  there  was 
only  one  colored  Y  man  there  and  no  women. 
This,  too,  at  a  time  when  Paris  had  as  many  as 
forty  colored  men  and  women,  who  had  returned 
from  their  posts  of  duty,  and  were  willing  and 
anxious  for  reassignment.  This  spectacle  would  no 
doubt  have  continued  until  the  close  of  the  work, 
had  not  the  writers  remained  in  Paris  for  a  period 
of  ten  days,  requesting  continuously  that  they  be 
permitted  to  go  to  Brest.  They  were  finally  ad- 
mitted through  the  intercession  of  Mr.  W.  S.  Wal- 
lace, who  had  become  the  head  of  the  personnel 
department.  When  they  arrived  they  were  told  by 
the  secretary  at  the  head  of  the  woman's  work  for 
that  region,  that  she  had  tried  repeatedly  to  get 
colored  women,  but  for  some  reason  the  Paris  office 
had  refused  to  send  them.  But  the  Paris  office  had 
said  each  time,  upon  being  questioned  with  regard 
to  the  matter,  that  the  office  at  Brest  did  not  desire 
colored  women  secretaries.  This  misunderstand- 
ing came  about,  no  doubt,  when,  one  year  previous, 
the  first  colored  woman  sent  there  had  been  re- 

24 


TWO    COLORED    WOMEN    WITH    THE    A.    E.    F. 

turned  to  Paris.  With  the  necessary  tact  and 
investigation  on  the  part  of  the  proper  authorities, 
the  matter  could  no  doubt  have  been  very  easily 
adjusted,  when  the  original  men  in  authority  at 
Brest  had  been  replaced  by  others  who  were  more 
reasonable,  and  who  had  more  sympathy  for  the 
colored  men;  in  that  case  we  would  not  have  been 
confronted  with  the  spectacle  of  numbers  of  colored 
workers  idle  in  Paris  for  a  period  of  from  four  to 
six  weeks,  just  one  night's  ride  from  thousands  of 
colored  soldiers,  who  were  necessarily  centered  at 
the  great  home-going  port.  Had  they  been  there 
they  could  have  been  of  wonderful  service,  at  a 
time  when  waiting  was  a  task  that  tried  men's 
souls. 

Commendable  things  were  accomplished,  how- 
ever, through  the  limited  number  of  colored  sec- 
retaries, the  sum  total  of  whom  finally  became 
seventy-eight  men  and  nineteen,  women,  the  rank 
and  file  of  whom  were  splendid,  giving  excellent 
service  in  whatever  portion  of  the  A.  E.  F.  to 
which  they  happened  to  be  assigned. 

Among  those  who  gave  especially  valiant  service 
were  Mr.  Matthew  Bullock,  of  Boston,  Mass.,  who 
served  with  the  369th  Infantry;  Mr.  H.  0.  Cook,  of 
Kansas  City,  Mo.,  who  served  with  the  371st;  and 
Mr.  E.  T.  Banks,  of  Dayton,  Ohio,  who  served  with 
the  368th.  All  of  these  men  were  cited  for  brav- 
ery as  a  result  of  their  services  with  the  combatant 
troops.  Mr.  Banks  went  over  the  top  with  his 
men  in  the  Vienne,  La  Chateau  sector,  of  the 
Argonne  Forest.  Mr.  Cook  gave  gallant  service 

25 


TWO    COLORED    WOMEN    WITH    THE    A.    E.    F. 

in  the  Champagne  offensive,  working  tirelessly  until 
he  was  gassed;  while  Mr.  Bullock  could  be  seen  at 
all  times  making  his  way  under  tremendous  shell 
fire  that  he  might  reach  his  men  with  necessary 
supplies;  all  of  these  men  won  high  praise  for 
their  services  in  giving  first  aid  to  the  wounded. 

While  there  is  very  little  exception  to  the  rule 
that  the  colored  soldiers  were  generally  and  won- 
derfully helped  by  the  colored  secretaries,  and 
while  the  official  heads  of  the  Y.  M.  C.  A.  at  Paris 
were  in  every  way  considerate  and  courteous  to  its 
colored  constituency,  still  there  is  no  doubt  that 
the  attitude  of  many  of  the  white  secretaries  in 
the  field  was  to  be  deplored.  They  came  from  all 
parts  of  the  United  States,  North,  South,  East  and 
West,  and  brought  their  native  prejudices  with  them. 
Our  soldiers  often  told  us  of  signs  on  Y.  M.  C.  A. 
huts  which  read,  "No  Negroes  Allowed" ;  and  some- 
times other  signs  would  designate  the  hours  when 
colored  men  could  be  served;  we  remember  seeing 
such  instructions  written  in  crayon  on  a  bulletin 
board  at  one  of  the  huts  at  Camp  I,  St.  Nazaire; 
signs  prohibiting  the  entrance  of  colored  men  were 
frequently  seen  during  the  beginning  of  the  work 
in  that  section;  but  always,  when  the  matter  was 
brought  to  the  attention  of  Mr.  W.  S.  Wallace,  the 
regional  secretary,  he  would  immediately  see  that 
they  were  removed. 

Sometimes,  even,  when  there  were  no  such  signs, 
services  to  colored  soldiers  would  be  refused.  One 
such  soldier  came  to  the  Leave  Area,  and  one  day, 

26 


GROUP  OF  Y.M.C.A.  WORKERS,  INCLUDING  THE  THREE 
SECRETARIES  WHO  WERE  CITED  FOR  BRAVERY 

1.  Miss  Turner.  2.  Mr.  Matthew  Bullock.  3.  Mrs.  Craigwell.  4. 
Misses  Edwards  and  Rochon,  and  Mr.  Owens.  5.  Misses  Phelps  and 
Suarez.  6.  Mr.  H.  O.  Cook.  7.  Miss  Hagan.  8.  Mr.  E.  T.  Banks. 


TWO    COLORED    WOMEN    WITH    THE    A.    E.    F. 

while  on  a  hike  to  Hannibal's  Pass,  he  confided  to 
the  writer  that  he  was  beginning  to  see  the  Y.  M. 
C.  A.  from  a  different  view-point,  since  he  had 
been  where  there  were  colored  secretaries.  That 
at  one  time,  up  at  the  front,  he  had  been  marching 
for  two  days,  was  muddy  to  the  waist,  cold  and 
starving,  because  he  had  had  nothing  to  eat  during 
the  entire  journey.  He  came  across  a  Y.  M.  C.  A. 
hut,  went  in,  and  asked  them  to  sell  him  a  package 
of  cakes.  They  refused  to  sell  it  to  him  under  the 
plea  that  they  did  not  serve  Negroes. 

The  writer  remembers  an  appeal  that  came  to 
her  one  Sunday  morning  while  at  St.  Nazaire.  A 
Sergeant  in  the  Medical  Corps  desired  her  to  use 
her  influence  to  help  to  get  him  out  of  the  guard 
house.  On  investigation  she  learned  that  he  had 
been  placed  there  for  doing  violence  to  a  Y.  M. 
C.  A.  secretary.  This  secretary  served  in  a  hut 
just  two  blocks  from  the  one  in  which  the  writer 
served.  It  happened  to  be  immediately  across  the 
street  from  the  dispensary,  where  the  sergeant  was 
on  duty.  Instead  of  coming  to  the  colored  hut,  he 
went  across  the  street  to  the  one  nearer.  The  sec- 
retary, with  much  indignation,  told  him  that  he 
did  not  serve  Negroes.  The  sergeant  went  back  to 
the  dispensary,  feeling  outraged.  The  next  day 
this  same  Y.  M.  C.  A.  secretary  went  into  the  dis- 
pensary and  asked  for  some  medicine.  The  ser- 
geant told  him  he  must  wait  until  those  ahead  of 
him  were  served;  but  the  secretary  persisted  that 
he  was  in  a  hurry,  and  must  be  served  at  once; 

27 


TWO    COLORED    WOMEN    WITH    THE    A.    E.    F. 

whereupon  the  sergeant,  still  smarting  under  the 
insult  of  the  day  before,  unceremoniously  ejected 
him  from  the  building. 

One  secretary  had  a  colored  band  come  to  his 
hut  to  entertain  his  men.  Several  colored  soldiers 
followed  the  band  into  the  hut.  The  secretary  got 
up  and  announced  that  no  colored  men  would  be 
admitted.  The  leader  of  the  band,  a  white  man, 
by  the  way,  immediately  informed  his  men  that 
they  need  not  play;  whereupon  all  departed  and 
there  was  no  entertainment.  Some  huts  would  per- 
mit colored  men  to  come  in  and  purchase  supplies 
at  the  canteen,  but  would  not  let  them  sit  down  and 
write,  while  others  received  them  without  any  dis- 
crimination whatever. 

Quite  a  deal  of  unpleasantness  was  experienced 
on  the  boats  coming  home.  One  secretary  in  charge 
of  a  party  sailing  from  Bordeaux,  attempted  to 
put  all  the  colored  men  in  the  steerage.  They 
rebelled  and  left  the  ship ;  whereupon  arrangements 
were  made  to  give  them  the  same  accommodations 
as  the  others. 

On  another  boat  there  were  nineteen  colored 
welfare  workers;  all  the  women  were  placed  on  a 
floor  below  the  white  women,  and  the  entire  colored 
party  was  placed  in  an  obscure,  poorly  ventilated 
section  of  the  dining-room,  entirely  separated  from 
the  other  workers  by  a  long  table  of  Dutch  civil- 
ians. The  writer  immediately  protested;  the  reply 
was  made  that  southern  white  workers  on  board 
the  ship  would  be  insulted  if  the  colored  workers 

28 


TWO    COLORED    WOMEN    WITH    THE    A.    E.    F. 

ate  in  the  same  section  of  the  dining-room  with 
them,  and,  at  any  rate,  the  colored  people  need 
not  expect  any  such  treatment  as  had  been  given 
them  by  the  French. 

But  Y.  M.  C.  A.  secretaries  were  not  always 
responsible  for  discriminations  that  occurred  in  the 
Y.  M.  C.  A.  huts.  In  some  places,  commanding 
officers  would  order  signs  put  up.  On  another  page 
is  a  picture  of  a  hut  located  at  Camp  Guthrie,  near 
St.  Nazaire.  The  small  sign  just  on  the  right  of  the 
picture  says,  "Colored  Soldiers  Only."  The  hut 
secretary  here  was  a  colored  man,  the  Rev.  T.  A. 
Griffith,  formerly  of  Des  Moines,  Iowa,  and  Topeka, 
Kan.  To  this  hut  came  many  white  soldiers  to 
listen  to  his  sermons,  and  to  get  into  the  ice  cream 
line  at  the  canteen.  At  the  same  time  many  of 
the  colored  soldiers  went  to  the  other  hut,  where 
there  was  a  white  secretary,  to  be  served  in  the  ice 
cream  line.  In  time  these  boys  were  told  that  they 
must  get  out  of  the  line  and  be  served  at  their  own 
hut.  Simultaneously  Rev.  Griffith  was  told  to  keep 
the  white  men  out  of  his  line,  and  let  them  be 
served  where  there  were  white  secretaries.  Rev. 
Griffith  did  not  do  this,  but  left  the  order  to  be 
enforced  by  the  colonel  who  had  made  it.  When 
the  colonel  saw  that  his  order  was  not  being  recog- 
nized at  the  colored  hut,  he  had  the  sign  put  up  as 
shown  in  the  picture.  Rev.  Griffith  made  a  num- 
ber of  efforts  to  get  the  sign  removed,  but  to  no 
avail. 

The  following  is  a  copy  of  an  order  issued  in 
another  section: 

29 


TWO    COLORED    WOMEN    WITH    THE    A.    E.    F. 

HEADQUARTERS  CONCENTRATION  CAMP 
S.  0.  S.  TROOPS — REMACOURT 

Memorandum 
Y.  M.  C.  A. 

There  are  two  Y.  M.  C.  A.'s,  one  near  the  camp,  for 
white  troops,  and  one  in  town,  for  the  colored  troops. 
All  men  will  be  instructed  to  patronize  their  own  Y. 
By  order  of  COL.  DOANE. 

JOHN  A.  SCHWEITZER,  1st  Lt.  Inf., 
May,  1919.  Adjutant. 

But  there  were  splendid  men  among  both  secre- 
taries and  army  officials,  who  honestly  and  actively 
opposed  discrimination.  Mention  already  has  been 
made  of  our  personal  knowledge  of  Mr.  W.  S. 
Wallace  at  St.  Nazaire,  who  was  always  on  the 
alert  to  see  that  the  colored  soldiers  had  a  square 
deal;  while  at  Brest  we  found  an  equally  fine 
spirit  in  the  person  of  Major  Roberts,  the  army  wel- 
fare officer. 

While  welfare  organizations  other  than  the 
Y.  M.  C.  A.  did  not  employ  colored  workers,  still, 
we  had  the  opportunity  of  observing  the  attitude 
they  assumed  toward  the  colored  troops.  It  was  a 
part  of  the  multiplicity  of  the  duties  of  colored 
Y  women  to  visit  the  hospitals;  here  they  found 
colored  soldiers  placed  indiscriminately  in  wards 
with  white  soldiers,  while  officers  were  accorded  the 
same  treatment  as  were  their  white  comrades. 
However,  we  learned  that  in  some  places,  colored 
officers  would  be  placed  in  wards  with  private  sol- 
diers, instead  of  being  given  private  rooms,  as  was 

30 


HUTS  SHOWING  SCARCITY  OF  COLORED  SECRETARIES  AND 
SOME  DISCRIMINATIONS  PRACTICED 

1.  Hut  5,  Camp  Lusitania,  St.  Nazaire.     The  largest  Y.  M.  C.  A.  hut  in 

France,   with   full   staff   of   three  secretaries. 

From    left    to    right — J.    C.    Croom,    Kathryn    M.    Johnson,    F.    O. 

Nichols,  traveling   Lecturer   on   Civics,  said  Walter  Price. 

2.  Last  Y.   M.    C.   A.   hut   built  in   France,   showing   sign    in   upper   right 

corner,   reading,   "Colored  Soldiers   Only." 


TWO    COLORED    WOMEN    WITH    THE    A.    E.    F. 

their  military  right;  and  one  soldier  tells  how, 
after  being  twice  wounded  in  the  Argonne  drive, 
he  was  taken  to  Base  Hospital  No.  56;  here  he,  and 
others,  waited  three  days  before  they  could  secure 
the  attention  of  either  a  doctor  or  a  nurse;  but 
when  these  attendants  finally  came,  the  colored 
soldiers  were  taken  from  the  hospital  beds  and 
placed  on  cots  which  were  shoved  into  one  end  of 
the  room  where  there  was  no  heat;  they  then  re- 
ceived medical  attention,  always  after  the  others 
had  been  well  attended,  and  were  given  the  food 
that  remained  after  the  others  had  been  served. 

There  was  one  notable  incident  of  discrimina- 
tion on  the  part  of  the  Knights  of  Columbus.  It 
occurred  at  Camp  Romagne,  where  there  were 
about  9,000  colored  soldiers  engaged  in  the  heart- 
breaking task  of  reburying  the  dead.  The  white 
soldiers  here  were  acting  as  clerks,  and  doing  the 
less  arduous  tasks.  The  Knights  of  Columbus 
erected  a  tent  here  and  placed  thereon  a  sign  to 
keep  colored  soldiers  away.  The  colored  soldiers, 
heartsore  because  they,  of  all  the  soldiers,  Ger- 
man prisoners,  etc.,  that  there  were  in  France, 
should  alone  be  forced  to  do  this  terrible  task  of 
moving  the  dead  from  where  they  had  been  tem- 
porarily buried  to  a  permanent  resting  place,  im- 
mediately resented  the  outrage  and  razed  the  tent 
to  the  ground.  The  officers  became  frightened  lest 
there  should  be  mutiny,  mounted  a  machine  gun 
to  keep  order,  and  commanded  the  four  colored 
women  who  were  doing  service  there  to  proceed  at 
once  to  Paris. 

3  31 


TWO    COLORED    WOMEN    WITH    THE    A.    E.    F. 

As  a  rule,  only  words  of  praise  were  heard  for 
the  Salvation  Army,  whose  field  of  service  was 
very  small  but  very  excellent. 

The  Y.  W.  C.  A.  was  another  welfare  organiza- 
tion with  overseas  workers;  their  field  of  service 
was  among  the  women  welfare  workers  of  other 
organizations,  and  the  French  war  brides  who 
were  waiting  to  come  to  America  with  their 
American  soldier  husbands.  No  colored  repre- 
sentative of  this  organization  was  sent  over,  as  the 
number  of  colored  women  was  so  small  that  she 
would  have  had  no  field  in  which  to  operate.  Few, 
if  any,  of  the  white  Y.  W.  C.  A.  workers  gave  any 
attention  to  this  little  colored  group,  notwithstand- 
ing the  fact  that  they  were  women,  and  Americans, 
just  like  the  others.  One,  however,  remembers  a 
greeting  of  much  insulting  superiority  and  snob- 
bishness, by  one  of  its  representatives  whom  she  met 
on  the  street.  After  that  she  always  felt  it  neces- 
sary to  keep  in  places  where  they  were  not  to  be 
seen.  Of  course,  all  of  them  were  not  of  this  type, 
but  there  was  no  way  of  being  sure  of  those  who 
were  not.  As  an  organization  there  is  no  doubt 
that  much  good  was  accomplished  by  them,  espe- 
cially in  furnishing  reasonable  and  comfortable 
hotel  accommodations  for  women  welfare  workers 
in  Paris,  and  also  in  caring  for  the  wives  of  sol- 
diers who  were  waiting  to  come  home,  in  the 
crowded  seaport  cities. 

The  largest  Y.  M.  C.  A.  hut  in  France  was  one 
built  at  Camp  Lusitania,  St.  Nazaire,  for  the  use 
of  colored  soldiers.  It  was  the  first  hut  built  for 

32 


TWO    COLORED    WOMEN    WITH    THE    A.    E.    F. 

our  boys,  and  for  its  longest  period  of  service  was 
under  the  supervision  of  Rev.  D.  Leroy  Ferguson, 
of  Louisville,  Ky.  It  reached  its  highest  state  of 
efficiency  and  cleanliness  under  Mr.  J.  C.  Groom,  of 
Goldsboro,  N.  C.  It  did  service  for  9,000  men,  and 
had,  in  addition  to  the  dry  canteen,  a  library  of 
1,500  volumes,  a  money-order  department  which 
sometimes  sent  out  as  much  as  $2,000  a  day  to 
the  home  folks;  a  school  room  where  1,100  illiter- 
ates were  taught  to  read  and  write;  a  large  lobby 
for  writing  letters  and  playing  games ;  and  towards 
the  close  of  the  work,  a  wet  canteen,  which  served 
hot  chocolate,  lemonade  and  cakes  to  the  soldiers. 

To  this  hut  one  of  us  was  assigned,  and  served 
there  for  nearly  nine  months.  The  work  was 
pleasant  and  profitable  to  all  concerned,  and  no 
woman  could  have  received  better  treatment  any- 
where than  was  received  at  the  hands  of  these  9,000 
who  helped  to  fight  the  battle  of  St.  Nazaire  by 
unloading  the  great  ships  that  came  into  the  harbor. 
Among  the  duties  found  there  were  to  assist 
in  religious  work;  to  equip  a  library  with  books, 
chairs,  tables,  decorations,  etc.,  and  establish  a 
system  of  lending  books;  to  write  letters  for  the 
soldiers;  to  report  allotments  that  had  not  been 
paid;  to  establish  a  money  order  system;  to  search 
for  lost  relatives  at  home;  to  do  shopping  for  the 
boys  whose  time  was  too  limited  to  do  it  them- 
selves; to  teach  illiterates  to  read  and  write;  to 
spend  a  social  hour  with  those  who  wanted  to  tell 
her  their  stories  of  joy  or  sorrow. 

All  of  this  kept  one  woman  so  busy  that  she 

33 


TWO   COLORED    WOMEN    WITH    THE   A.    E.    F. 

found  no  time  to  think  of  anything  else,  not  even 
to  take  the  ten  days'  vacation  which  was  allowed  her 
every  four  months.  In  a  hut  of  similar  size  among 
white  soldiers,  there  would  have  been  at  least  six 
women,  and  perhaps  eight  men.  Here  the  only 
woman  had  from  two  to  five  male  associates. 
Colored  workers  everywhere  were  so  limited  that 
one  person  found  it  necessary  to  do  the  work  of 
three  or  four. 

Just  on  the  suburbs  of  St.  Nazaire,  about  two 
miles  from  Camp  Lusitania,  was  another  hut,  the 
second  oldest  for  colored  men  in  France.  Here 
the  other  one  of  the  writers  spent  six  months  of 
thrilling,  all-absorbing  service;  while  about  six 
miles  out,  in  the  little  town  of  Montoir,  where 
thousands  of  labor  troops  and  engineers  had  per- 
manent headquarters,  the  third  of  the  colored 
women  to  come  to  this  section  ran  a  large  canteen, 
supplying  chocolate,  doughnuts,  pie  and  some- 
times ice  cream  to  the  grateful  soldiers.  This  hut 
was  far  too  small  for  the  number  of  soldiers  it 
had  to  entertain,  but  it  was  made  large  in  its  hospi- 
tality by  the  genial,  good-natured,  energetic  Mr. 
William  Stevenson,  its  first  hut  secretary,  now 
Y.  M.  C.  A.  secretary,  Washington,  D.  C.  He 
started  the  work  in  a  tent,  and  built  it  up  to  a  veri- 
table thriving  beehive  of  activity. 

There  were  several  other  localities  in  the  neigh- 
borhood of  St.  Nazaire,  where  one  colored  secre- 
tary would  be  utilized  to  reach  an  isolated  set. 
They  usually  worked  in  tents.  Other  places  where 
Y.  M.  C.  A.  buildings,  huts  or  tents  for  colored 

34 


TWO    COLORED    WOMEN    WITH    THE    A.    E.    F. 

soldiers  were  located,  were  Bordeaux,  Brest,  Le 
Mans,  Challes-les-Eaux,  Chambery,  Marseilles, 
Joinville,  Belleau  Wood,  Fere-en-Tardenois,  Orly, 
Is-sur-Tille,  Remacourt,  Chaumont,  and  Camp 
Romagne  near  Verdun. 

Rolling  canteens  ran  out  from  some  places, 
reaching  points  where  the  soldiers  had  no  Y.  M. 
C.  A.  conveniences.  This  was  a  small  automobile 
truck,  equipped  with  material  for  serving  chocolate 
and  doughnuts,  and  operated  by  a  chauffeur,  and 
a  Y  woman  who  dispensed  smiles  and  sunshine  to 
the  ofttimes  homesick  boys,  along  with  whatever 
she  had  to  tempt  their  appetites. 

The  last,  and  perhaps  the  most  difficult  piece  of 
constructive  work  done  by  the  colored  workers,  was 
at  Camp  Pontanezen,  Brest.  It  has  been  told  in 
another  chapter  how  one  of  the  writers  received 
Brest  as  her  first  appointment,  and  how  she  was 
immediately  informed  upon  her  arrival  that  be- 
cause of  the  roughness  of  the  colored  men,  she 
would  not  be  allowed  to  serve  them.  That  woman 
went  away  with  the  determination  to  return  to 
Brest,  and  serve  the  colored  men  there,  if  there 
was  any  way  to  make  an  opening;  so  after  finish- 
ing her  work  in  the  Leave  Area,  she  and  her  co- 
worker,  who  had  been  relieved  from  duty  at  Camp 
Romagne,  were  finally  permitted  to  go  there,  as 
has  been  previously  explained. 

Upon  their  arrival,  they  were  told  that  they  would 
be  assigned  to  Camp  President  Lincoln,  where  there 
were  about  12,000  S.  0.  S.  troops.  Here  there 
were  several  secretaries  and  chaplains,  and  the 

35 


TWO    COLORED    WOMEN    WITH    THE    A.    E.    F. 

need  was  greater  at  Camp  Pontanezen,  where  there 
were  40,000  men,  and  only  one  colored  secretary. 
The  writers  requested  that  they  be  located  there. 
The  appointment  was  held  up  for  one  day,  and 
finally  they  became  located  at  Soldiers'  Rest  Hut, 
in  the  desired  camp. 

They  were  told  that  they  must  retain  a  room  in 
the  city,  as  the  woman's  dormitory  at  Camp  Pon- 
tanezen was  filled  to  its  capacity.  But  they  con- 
tended that  to  do  so  would  take  them  away  from 
the  soldiers  at  a  time  in  the  evening  when  they 
could  be  of  the  greatest  service.  Finally,  it  was 
arranged  for  them  to  stay  in  the  hut,  much  to  the 
dissatisfaction  of  the  white  secretary  in  charge. 

The  next  morning  before  they  left  their  room, 
a  message  was  received,  telling  them  that  trans- 
portation would  be  at  the  door  at  any  moment  they 
desired,  to  take  them  back  to  Brest;  that  Major 
Roberts,  the  Camp  Welfare  Officer,  had  said  that 
they  must  not  stay  in  the  hut.  Upon  investigation 
by  Mr.  B.  F.  Lee,  Jr.,  the  lone  colored  secretary 
at  this  tremendous  camp,  it  was  learned  that  Major 
Roberts  had  been  told  that  the  women  were  uncom- 
fortable, and  did  not  wish  to  stay. 

Mr.  Lee  explained  that  such  was  not  true.  The 
Welfare  Officer  then  visited  the  hut,  talked  with  the 
women,  recognized  the  situation,  gave  his  consent 
to  their  staying,  and  assured  them  that  he  was 
willing  and  ready  to  do  anything  in  his  power  to 
make  them  comfortable,  and  assist  in  equipping 
the  hut.  The  white  secretary,  seeing  that  the 
women  were  going  to  stay,  acquiesced  in  the  situa- 

36 


TWO    COLORED    WOMEN    WITH    THE    A.    E.    F. 

tion,  instead  of  moving  out,  and  did  everything  he 
could  to  assist. 

After  this  there  was  no  difficulty  experienced  at 
Camp  Pontanezen.  The  camp  secretary  and  his 
staff  put  every  means  at  our  disposal  to  assist  us 
in  the  work,  while  the  head  of  the  women's  work 
was  at  all  times  helpful  and  sympathetic.  From 
the  time  she  received  us  at  Brest,  until  our  depart- 
ure, she  showed  us  every  consideration  and  cour- 
tesy due  Y.  M.  C.  A.  secretaries. 

During  the  nearly  seven  weeks  there,  the  chief 
of  the  women's  work  for  France  paid  the  city  a 
visit,  in  order  that  she  might,  among  other  things, 
visit  the  colored  work. 

The  two  women  remained  in  the  same  hut  about 
two  weeks,  when  Major  Roberts  gave  one  of  the 
most  beautiful  huts  in  the  camp  to  the  colored 
soldiers.  It  had  been  occupied  by  the  106th 
Engineers,  and  had  been  built  for  their  own  private 
use.  It  contained  a  beautiful  stage;  a  large  audi- 
torium, seating  1,100  people,  with  a  balcony  and 
boxes  for  officers.  It  also  had  a  beautiful  library 
and  reading  room,  as  well  as  a  wet  canteen.  To 
this  hut  came  Mr.  B.  F.  Lee,  Jr.,  and  one  of  the 
women,  while  the  other  remained  at  Soldiers'  Rest 
Hut,  and  became  its  hut  secretary.  To  join  them 
came  two  other  women  from  Paris,  one  of  whom 
was  placed  in  each  hut,  making  the  total  number 
of  women  secretaries,  four. 

The  new  hut  was  quickly  gotten  in  order,  sleeping 
quarters  being  arranged,  a  new  library  built,  and 

37 


TWO   COLORED    WOMEN    WITH    THE   A.    E.    F. 

a  game  room  made  by  removing  partitions  from 
under  the  balcony. 

There  were  several  other  large  huts  at  Camp 
Pontanezen,  that  were  used  for  long  periods  ex- 
clusively by  colored  soldiers;  but  in  the  absence 
of  colored  women,  white  women,  sometimes  as 
many  as  five  in  a  hut,  gave  a  service  that  was 
necessarily  perfunctory,  because  their  prejudices 
would  not  permit  them  to  spend  a  social  hour  with 
a  homesick  colored  boy,  or  even  to  sew  on  a  ser- 
vice stripe,  were  they  asked  to  do  so.  But  the 
very  fact  that  they  were  there  showed  a  change  in 
the  policy  from  a  year  previous,  when  a  colored 
woman  even  was  not  permitted  to  serve  them. 

In  nearly  all  the  Y.  M.  C.  A.  huts,  in  every  sec- 
tion of  France,  moving  pictures  would  be  operated 
every  afternoon  and  evening.  Many  times  before 
the  movies,  some  kind  of  an  entertainment  would 
be  furnished  by  the  entertainment  department  of 
the  Y.  M.  C.  A.  There  were  shows  furnished  by 
French  or  American  dramatists;  concert  parties  by 
singers  and  musicians  of  all  nationalities,  and  fre- 
quently a  lecture  on  health  and  morals.  The 
movies  and  shows  were  the  most  popular  forms  of 
entertainment,  and  on  these  occasions  the  huts 
would  always  be  crowded,  as  all  entertainments 
given  by  the  Y.  M.  C.  A.  were  free. 

The  organization  also  did  much  to  promote  clean 
morals  among  the  men,  by  the  free  distribution  of 
booklets,  tracts,  and  wholesome  pictures.  This 
literature  would  be  placed  in  literature  cases,  and 
the  men  would  select  their  own  material,  while  the 

38 


TWO    COLORED    WOMEN    WITH    THE    A.    E.    F. 

pictures  would  be  placed  in  parts  of  the  hut  where 
they  would  be  easily  visible.  Some  of  the  booklets 
which  were  unusually  popular  among  the  men  were 
"Nurse  and  Knight,"  "Out  of  the  Fog,"  "When  a 
Man's  Alone,"  "The  Spirit  of  a  Soldier,"  and 
"A  Square  Deal";  while  quantities  of  other  stories 
with  sharply  drawn  morals  were  distributed  by  the 
thousands  and  thousands  of  copies. 

All  told,  the  Y.  M.  C.  A.,  with  a  tremendous 
army  of  workers,  many  of  whom  were  untrained, 
did  a  colossal  piece  of  welfare  work  overseas.  The 
last  hut  for  the  colored  Americans  in  France  was 
closed  at  Camp  Pontanezen,  Brest,  on  August  3, 
1919,  by  one  of  the  writers;  the  two  of  them  hav- 
ing given  the  longest  period  of  active  service  of 
any  of  the  colored  women  who  went  overseas. 


39 


"These  men  are  high  of  soul,  as  they  face  their  fate 
on  the  shell-shattered  earth,  or  in  the  skies  above,  or  in 
the  waters  beneath;  and  no  less  high  of  soul  are  the 
women  with  torn  hearts  and  shining  eyes;  the  girls  whose 
boy  lovers  have  been  struck  down  in  their  golden  morn- 
ing, and  the  mothers  and  wives  to  whom  word  has  been 
brought  that  henceforth  they  must  walk  in  the  shadow." 

THEODORE  ROOSEVELT,  in  "The  Great  Adventure"* 


*  By  permission  of  Charles  Scribner's  Sons. 
40 


The   Combatant   Troops 

IT  was  our  greatest  hope,  when  we  left  that  great 
city  of  the  Middle  West,  in  May,  1918,  that 
we  might  have  the  privilege  of  serving  those  sol- 
diers whom  we  had  seen  march  proudly  away 
about  six  months  before,  and  entrain  for  the  city 
of  the  South,  there  to  prepare  to  take  their  part  on 
the  great  western  front,  in  the  world's  greatest 
war.  It  was  at  once  a  joyous  and  heart-aching 
privilege  to  follow  them  from  the  spacious  8th 
Regiment  Armory,  through  the  penetrating  breeze 
from  Lake  Michigan,  in  order  that  we  might  see 
them  bid  a  last  adieu  to  those  who  loved  them 
most;  the  mothers,  wives,  and  sweethearts  who 
clung  to  the  car  windows  and  steps  for  a  last  tear- 
ful embrace,  as  the  train  prepared  to  move  slowly 
away,  bearing  its  burden  of  human  freight,  some 
of  whom  were  not  to  return,  but  were  to  remain 
resting  in  those  fields  whose  blood-red  poppies 
seemed  death's  perfect  emblem  of  crimson  beauty. 
But  failing  to  have  the  privilege  of  serving  them, 
we  desired  in  all  earnestness  of  heart  to  serve 
whatever  other  colored  regiments  were  marshaled 
in  battle  array  against  the  foe;  those  who  were 
facing  the  shot  and  shell;  the  poison  gas  and 
liquid  flame;  the  bombs  from  above  and  the  mines 
from  beneath;  who  were  struggling  through  barbed 
wire  entanglements,  and  sleeping  in  trenches  and 
dugouts;  who  were  suffering  in  all  possible  ways 
from  the  wicked  ingenuity  of  the  Germans;  who 

41 


TWO    COLORED    WOMEN    WITH    THE   A.    E.    F. 

went  for  days  without  food  and  drink;  and  who 
offered  themselves  as  a  supreme  sacrifice  to  help 
to  make  the  world  safe  for  democracy. 

To  these  troops  we  owe  much  for  our  splendid 
record  in  the  World  War.  They  summoned  with 
superhuman  strength  the  courage  to  overcome  the 
galling  and  heart-breaking  discriminations  which 
they  had  known  before  they  crossed  the  seas;  the 
open  and  public  discussion  as  to  whether  colored 
men  should  be  allowed  to  fight;  the  tragedy  of 
Houston,  and  the  resulting  discouragement  at  Des 
Moines;1  the  impudence  of  the  commanding  officer 
at  Camp  Funston,  and  the  pre-arranged  and  in- 
famous plan  to  discredit  colored  officers  on  the 
battlefields;  all  this  was  sufficient  to  sap  their  very 
life  blood  before  it  had  a  chance  to  crimson  the 
soil  of  Flanders  Fields;  and  it  was  to  these  troops 
that  we  felt  we  owed  all  that  could  be  given  of 
service  and  devotion. 

But  we  were  not  permitted  to  do  this  ser- 
vice for  which  we  longed  so  much,  and  conse- 
quently our  chapter  on  Combatant  Troops  must  be 
a  record  of  facts  which  we  have  gathered  from 
officers  and  men  of  the  different  organizations  who 
have  so  kindly  and  willingly  come  to  our  assist- 
ance. True,  it  is  a  brief  record;  the  full  record 
must  be  left  to  those  who  write  the  histories;  but 
we  hope  it  is  quite  sufficient  to  establish  for  all 
time  the  fact  that  these  troops  lived  up  to  the  full 
measure  of  their  opportunity;  that  whether  under 
white  or  colored  leadership,  they  fought  bravely 
and  with  undaunted  courage;  that  their  spirit  of 

42 


TWO    COLORED    WOMEN    WITH    THE   A.    E.    F. 

patience  and  long  suffering  enabled  them  to  over- 
come even  the  battle  of  prejudice,  which  had  fol- 
lowed them  even  into  that  war-torn  country,  and 
which  at  times  was  more  ominous  and  terrible  than 
any  war- weary  conflict;  and  finally  that  they  won 
for  themselves  a  crown  whose  glory  and  beauty 
will  increase  with  the  passing  of  the  years. 

COLORED  OFFICERS  AND  THE  92ND  DIVISION 

The  American  colored  men  had  very  small 
opportunity  to  get  training  that  would  fit  them 
for  officers  before  going  overseas;  there  was  only 
one  graduate  of  West  Point  available,  Col.  Charles 
Young,  of  Wilberforce,  Ohio;  unfortunately  the 
army  found  him  physically  unfit,  and  retired  him 
from  active  service  just  one  day  before  a  long  list 
of  brigadier  generals  was  made,  among  whom  he 
was  sixth  in  line  for  promotion.  He  was  finally 
called  back  into  active  service,  and  since  the  war 
has  ended  has  been  sent  to  Africa.  A  white 
colonel  remarked  in  his  introduction  of  Colonel 
Young  to  a  large  meeting  held  at  St.  Mark's  M.  E. 
Church,  53rd  Street,  New  York  City,  in  December, 
1919,  and  in  the  hearing  of  the  writer,  that  it  was 
very  plain  that  the  only  reason  why  this  dark- 
skinned  military  officer  had  been  retired,  was  that 
the  army  did  not  want  a  black  general. 

For  a  number  of  years  preceding  our  entrance 
into  the  war,  no  colored  students  had  been  admitted 
to  West  Point,  and  graduation  was  ever  refused 

43 


TWO    COLORED    WOMEN    WITH    THE    A.    E.    F. 

them  at  the  Annapolis  Naval  Academy.  One 
colored  school,  however — Wilberforce  University 
— had  maintained  for  a  number  of  years  a  de- 
partment of  military  tactics  supported  by  the  gov- 
ernment. Here  Colonel  Young,  and  other  regular 
army  officers  had  been  kept  from  time  to  time  as 
instructors.  During  the  war  65  men,  graduates 
and  undergraduates  of  the  school,  received  com- 
missions as  officers. 

The  small  number  who  had  received  limited 
training  here,  however,  was  quite  inadequate  to  be 
of  much  service  among  any  considerable  number 
of  troops ;  and  the  problem  of  how  to  train  colored 
officers  became  quite  a  vexation;  the  camps  that 
gave  six  weeks'  training  to  white  men  did  not  wish 
to  admit  them,  and  there  were  many  who  argued 
that  colored  men  should  not  be  allowed  to  become 
soldiers,  and  that  therefore  there  would  be  no 
need  for  colored  officers.  Southern  congressmen 
were  particularly  alarmed  over  any  prospects  of 
colored  men  learning  to  use  guns. 

After  some  weeks  of  agitation,  however,  the  war 
department  decided  to  establish  a  training  camp  at 
Des  Moines,  Iowa,  where  about  1,100  men  entered 
for  the  three  months'  course.  Over  six  hundred 
received  commissions  as  2nd  Lieutenants,  1st  Lieu- 
tenants, or  Captains.  There  seemed  to  be  a  rule 
that  no  colored  man  in  training  should  receive  a 
commission  higher  than  that  of  captain.  Most  of 
these  men  were  college  graduates,  and  on  the  whole 
were  of  a  very  high  type. 

44 


TWO    COLORED    WOMEN    WITH    THE    A.    E.    F. 

They  were  assigned  to  the  92nd  Division,  and  to 
any  other  units  where  colored  officers  were  allowed 
to  serve,  and  were  needed;  but  the  record  of  the 
92nd  Division  shows  more  than  that  of  any  other 
organization  the  ability  of  the  officers  of  the  Des 
Moines  Training  School. 

The  92nd  Division  was  composed  of  the  365th 
and  366th  Infantries,  and  the  350th  Machine  Gun 
Battalion,  which  made  up  the  183rd  Infantry 
Brigade,  commanded  by  General  Barnum;  and 
the  367th  and  368th  Infantries,  together  with  the 
351st  Machine  Gun  Battalion,  which  made  up  the 
184th  Infantry  Brigade,  commanded  by  General 
Hay.  These  two  Brigades,  commanded  by  colored 
officers  as  high  as  the  rank  of  captain,  together  with 
the  167th  Artillery  Brigade,  commanded  with  few 
exceptions,  by  white  officers,  made  up  the  92nd 
Division,  which  was  under  the  command  of  Major 
General  Ballou. 

Major  General  Ballou  had  had  charge  of  the 
Training  School  at  Des  Moines,  at  which  time  his 
rank  was  that  of  colonel.  Through  the  influence  of 
friends,  some  colored  men  included,  he  was  pro- 
moted, and  given  charge  of  this  large  body  of 
colored  troops ;  but  before  he  left  for  France,  even, 
he  caused  an  order  to  be  issued,  known  as  Bulletin 
No.  35,  which  must  have  operated  in  no  small 
degree  to  destroy  his  influence  with  his  men,  and 
cause  a  humiliation  of  spirit  among  them  which 
would  take  away  whatever  desire  they  might  have 
had  to  lay  down  their  lives  that  Democracy  might 
live.  The  following  is  the  text  of  the  Bulletin: 

45 


TWO   COLORED    WOMEN    WITH    THE   A.    E.    F. 

HEADQUARTERS  92ND  DIVISION, 

CAMP  FUNSTON,  KAN. 

March  28,  1918. 

Bulletin  No.  35. 

1.  It  should  be  well  known  to  all  colored  officers  and 
men  that  no  useful  purpose  is  served  by  such  acts  as 
will  cause  the  "Color  Question"  to  be  raised.     It  is  not 
a  question  of  legal  rights,  but  a  question  of  policy,  and 
any  policy  that  tends  to  bring  about  a  conflict  of  races, 
with  its  resulting  animosities,  is1  prejudicial  to  the  mili- 
tary interests  of  the  92nd  Division,  and  therefore  preju- 
dicial to  an  important  interest  of  the  colored  race. 

2.  To  avoid  conflicts  the  Division  Commander  has  re- 
peatedly urged  that  all  colored  members  of  his  com- 
mand, and  especially  the  officers  and  non-commissioned 
officers  should  refrain  from  going  where  their  presence 
will  be  resented.     In  spite  of  this  injunction,  one  of 
the  sergeants  of  the  Medical  Department  has  recently 
precipitated  the  precise  trouble  that  should  be  avoided, 
and  then  called  on  the  Division  Commander  to  take  sides 
in  a  row  that  should  never  have  occurred,  and  would  not 
have  occurred  had  the  sergeant  placed  the  general  good 
above   his   personal    pleasure   and    convenience.      This 
sergeant  entered  a  theatre,  as  he  undoubtedly  had  a  legal 
right  to  do,  and  precipitated  trouble  by  making  it  possi- 
ble to  allege  race  discrimination  in  the  seat  he  was  given. 
He  is  entirely  within  his  legal  rights  in  the  matter,  and 
the  theatre  manager  is  legally  wrong.    Nevertheless  the 
sergeant  is  guilty  of  the  greater  wrong  in  doing  any- 
thing, no  matter  how  legally  correct,  that  will  provoke 
race  animosity. 

3.  The  Division  Commander  repeats  that  the  success 
of  the  Division  with  all  that  that  success  implies,  is  de- 

46 


TWO    COLORED    WOMEN    WITH    THE    A.    E.    F. 

pendent  upon  the  good  will  of  the  public.  That  public 
is  nine-tenths  white.  White  men  made  the  Division,  and 
can  break  it  just  as  easily  as  it  becomes  a  trouble  maker. 

4.  All  concerned  are  again  enjoined  to  place  the  gen- 
eral interest  of  the  Division  above  personal  pride  and 
gratification.     Avoid  every  situation  that  can  give  rise 
to  racial  ill-will.    Attend  quietly  and  faithfully  to  your 
duties,  and  don't  go  where  your  presence  is  not  desired. 

5.  This  will  be  read  to  all  organizations  of  the  92nd 
Division. 

By  Command  of  Major  General  Ballou. 

ALLEN  J.  GREEK, 

Lieutenant  Colonel  General  Staff, 
Chief  of  Staff. 

Official: 

EDW.  J.  TURGEON, 

Captain,  Assistant  Adjutant,  Acting  Adjutant. 


Nothing  that  General  Ballou  could  do  in  the 
way  of  prosecuting  the  theatre  manager,  which  he 
is  said  to  have  done,  could  alleviate  the  moral  effect 
of  this  order  upon  men  who  were  being  sent  to 
another  country  to  fight  for  the  preservation  of  the 
very  privileges  of  which  they  at  that  very  moment 
were  being  denied. 

The  92nd  Division  as  a  complete  unit  received 
no  training  as  such  in  the  United  States,  but  arrived 
in  France  by  regiments,  the  entire  number  having 

4  47 


TWO    COLORED    WOMEN    WITH    THE    A.    E.    F. 

landed  at  Brest  by  June  20,  1918.  The  four 
infantry  regiments  went  into  training  at  Bourbon 
les  Bains,  where  they  remained  seven  weeks,  when 
they  were  sent  to  the  Vosges  Sector;  they  remained 
there  from  August  23  to  September  20,  and 
were  then  sent  into  the  region  of  the  Argonne 
Forest,  where  they  were  partially  engaged  in  the 
great  Meuse-Argonne  Drive.  It  was  here  that  the 
368th  Regiment  was  sent  over  the  top,  without 
being  equipped  with  rifle  grenades,  instruments 
that  were  absolutely  necessary  for  use  in  the  de- 
struction of  German  machine-gun  nests.  Very  few 
of  the  officers  and  none  of  the  enlisted  men  had 
ever  seen  such  a  grenade,  and  the  absence  of  this 
weapon  in  warfare  where  guns  alone  were  practi- 
cally useless,  caused  a  retreat  which  resulted  in 
several  of  the  colored  officers  being  arrested  and 
sent  to  prison  for  cowardice.  Capt.  Leroy  Godman, 
a  colored  attorney  from  Columbus,  Ohio,  secured 
a  record  of  the  facts,  and  after  his  return  to 
America,  was  instrumental  in  having  them  pre- 
sented to  the  War  Department;  this  action  resulted 
in  the  release  and  exoneration  of  the  officers,  and 
the  stigma  of  cowardice  was  removed  from  the 
entire  regiment,  and  public  notice  of  it  was  given 
in  the  newspapers  throughout  the  entire  country. 

The  92nd  Division  was  never  permitted  until 
two  days  before  the  signing  of  the  Armistice  to 
function  in  battles  as  an  entire  unit.  The  follow- 
ing bulletin  by  Brigadier  General  Erwin  shows 
how  certain  parts  were  at  all  times  kept  in  reserve: 

48 


TWO    COLORED    WOMEN    WITH    THE    A.    E.    F. 

HEADQUARTERS  92ND  DIVISION 

A.  P.  0.  766 

A.  E.  F. 

Bulletin  No.  13.  January  27,  1919. 

1.  Participation  of  the  92nd  Division  in  Major  and 
Battle  operations  during  the  war. 

St.  Die  Sector,  Vosges,  Aug.  23,  1918— Sept.  20,  1918. 
Entire  92nd  Division,  less  Division  Artillery. 

Meuse-Argonne  Offensive,  Sept.  26,  1918 — Sept.  20,  1918. 
Entire  92nd  Division  (less  Division  Artillery  and  Train, 
368th  Infantry,  3d  Battalion  365th  Infantry,  1st  Battalion 
366th  Infantry,  3d  Battalion  367th  Infantry,  1st  Battalion 
317th  Military  Police)  in  reserve.  1st  Army  Corps. 

92nd  Division  (less  183d  Brigade,  317th  Engineers  and 
Train,  Division  Artillery,  Det.  Co.  A  317th  M.P.)  in  re- 
serve. 38th  Army  Corps. 

Sept.  20— Oct.  4,  1918. 

368th  Inf.  and  Companies  A.  &  B.  351st  M.  G.  Bn., 
as  liaison  troops  between  1st  Army  (American)  and  4th 
French  Army  operating  in  the  Provision  Brigade  with 
llth  Cuirassiers,  under  command  Colonel  Durand. 
Sept.  26-30,  1918. 

MARBACHE  SECTOR 
Oct.  9-Nov.  11,  1918. 

Entire  92nd  Division  to  be  centered  as  date  of  actual 
arrival  in  sector. 

Offensive  Operation 
2nd  Army,  Nov.  10-11,  1918. 

Entire  92d  Division  in  Marbache  Sector,  attacking  di- 
rection Corny. 

Patrols,  raids,  and  defense  of  raids  are  not  mentioned 
here.  They  are  local  in  character,  and  concern  only  the 

49 


TWO    COLORED    WOMEN    WITH    THE    A.    E.    F. 

units  involved.  These  entries  are  to  be  made  by  company 
commanders,  in  strict  compliance  with  the  following  ex- 
tracts from  G.  0. 

Discretion  must  be  used  by  company  commanders. 

Dates  and  locations  of  some  minor  operations  as  de- 
scribed above  are  the  following, —  (to  be  entered  only  by 
elements  actually  engaged). 

Repulse  of  enemy  raid,  C.  R.  Mere  Henry, 
23  hours.    25-26  Aug.,  1918. 
St.  Die  Sector 

Repulse  of  enemy  raid,  Trapelle, 
Sept.  1-2,  1918. 

Repulse  of  enemy  raid,  C.  R.  Palon, 

6  to  8  hours.    Sept.  9,  1918. 

St.  Die  Sector,  Vosges. 

Repulse  of  enemy  raid,  Trapelle, 

Sept.  19,  1918. 
St.  Die,  Vosges  Sector. 

In  case  where  units  have  operated  under  independent 
command,  as  in  the  case  of  the  317th  Engineers,  in  the 
Meuse  Argonne  Offensive,  appropriate  notation  should  be 
made  under  supervision  of  organization  commanders 
concerned. 

By  command  of  BRIGADIER  GENERAL  ERWIN. 

C.  K.  WILSON, 
Col.  General  Staff,  Chief  of  Staff. 

Official: 

EDWARD  J.  TURGEON, 
Maj.  Infantry,  Adj. 

50 


TWO    COLORED    WOMEN    WITH    THE    A.    E.    F. 

This  bulletin  shows  that  from  September  26  to 
30,  1918,  the  entire  368th  Infantry,  and  one 
battalion  each  of  the  365th,  366th,  and  367th  were 
engaged  in  action  in  the  Meuse-Argonne  Offensive, 
and  that,  from  September  30  to  October  4,  the 
183rd  Brigade,  composed  of  the  365th  and  366th 
Infantries,  was  actively  engaged  in  the  same  offen- 
sive. But  at  no  time  is  the  entire  92nd  Division 
shown  to  be  in  active  service  except  on  November 
10  and  11,  when  it  is  reported  to  be  attacking 
in  the  direction  of  Corny. 

During  its  activities  the  Division  lost  248  men 
and  7  officers  killed  and  died  of  wounds.  There 
were  a  number  of  individual  citations  for  bravery, 
and  one  entire  battalion  belonging  to  the  367th 
Infantry  was  awarded  the  Croix  de  Guerre.  On 
the  morning  of  the  signing  of  the  Armistice  the 
365th  Infantry  had  taken  several  hundred  yards  of 
the  battle  front,  the  366th  had  captured  and  was 
still  in  possession  of  several  kilometers  of  terri- 
tory, and  the  367th  was  nearest  to  the  coveted 
stronghold  of  Metz  of  any  of  the  units  of  the 
Allied  Armies.  Had  the  war  lasted  another  day, 
the  entire  Division,  along  with  six  other  divisions, 
had  been  selected  to  absorb  the  first  shock  of  the 
battle. 

Because  of  some  unusually  interesting  things 
that  happened  in  connection  with  the  367th  Infan- 
try, and  because  it  has  the  distinction  of  having 
the  only  entire  unit  of  the  92nd  Division  that  was 
awarded  the  Croix  de  Guerre,  its  full  history  fol- 
lows in  some  detail: 

51 


TWO    COLORED    WOMEN    WITH    THE    A.    E.    F. 

THE  367TH  INFANTRY 

The  367th  Infantry  came  into  existence  at  Camp 
Upton,  N.  Y.,  during  the  latter  part  of  October, 
1917.  Sixty  per  cent  of  the  soldiers  who  composed 
this  regiment  were  from  the  State  of  New  York, 
the  South  furnished  20  per  cent,  while  the  re- 
mainder came  from  New  England  and  the  West. 
It  was  commanded  by  Colonel  Moss,  a  regular  army 
man,  originally  from  Louisiana,  and  an  authority 
on  military  tactics,  having  published  several  books 
on  the  subject.  He  took  charge  of  the  regiment  on 
November  2,  1917,  and  spent  the  winter  in  giving 
it  what  is  said  to  have  been  the  most  thorough 
training  of  all  the  drafted  regiments.  He  also 
christened  the  organization  with  the  name  of  Buf- 
faloes ;  this  name  had  been  given  to  colored  soldiers 
by  the  Indians,  in  the  early  western  pioneer  days, 
when  colored  troops  made  it  so  interesting  for  the 
Red  Men  in  frontier  warfare,  as  to  remind  them 
of  the  buffaloes  of  their  own  great  western  plains. 
The  name  was  finally  adopted  by  the  entire  92nd 
Division. 

On  June  10,  1918,  the  regiment  embarked  for 
France,  landing  at  Brest  on  June  19.  They  rested 
for  a  few  days  in  dog  tents,  pitched  on  the  cold  wet 
ground  at  Camp  Pontanezen,  and  then  entrained  for 
Haute  Saone,  where  they  were  given  seven  weeks' 
intensive  training  in  trench  warfare  and  gas  instruc- 
tion, along  with  the  other  regiments  of  the  92nd 
Division.  Several  officers,  both  white  and  colored, 

52 


SCENE  OF  DEVASTATION  IN  WAR-TORN  FRANCE 


TWO    COLORED    WOMEN    WITH    THE    A.    E.    F. 

were  given  additional  training  in  the  American 
Training  School  at  Gondre  Court. 

On  August  22,  the  regiment  took  over  its  first 
trenches  at  the  front  in  the  Vosges  Sector,  where 
they  remained  until  September  18,  during  which 
time  numerous  raids,  patrols,  etc.,  were  planned 
and  executed. 

One  of  the  interesting  things  that  happened  to 
them  while  in  this  sector,  was  the  dropping  of 
propaganda  literature  from  German  aircraft.  The 
following  circular  was  picked  up  by  them  on 
September  3,  1918: 


TO  THE  COLORED  SOLDIERS  OF  THE  UNITED 
STATES  ARMY 

"Hello,  boys,  what  are  you  doing  over  here?  Fighting 
the  Germans?  Why?  Have  they  ever  done  you  any 
harm?  Of  course  some  white  folks  and  the  lying  Eng- 
lish-American papers  told  you  that  the  Germans  ought  to 
be  wiped  out  for  the  sake  of  humanity  and  Democracy. 
What  is  Democracy?  Personal  freedom;  all  citizens  en- 
joying the  same  rights  socially  and  before  the  law.  Do 
you  enjoy  the  same  rights  as  the  white  people  do  in 
America,  the  land  of  freedom  and  Democracy,  or  are 
you  not  rather  treated  over  there  as  second  class  citizens? 

Can  you  get  into  a  restaurant  where  white  people  dine? 
Can  you  get  a  seat  in  a  theatre  where  white  people  sit? 
Can  you  get  a  seat  or  a  berth  in  a  railroad  car,  or  can 
you  even  ride  in  the  South  in  the  same  street  car  with 
the  white  people? 

And  how  about  the  law?  Is  lynching  and  the  most 
horrible  crimes  connected  therewith,  a  lawful  proceeding 
in  a  Democratic  country?  Now  all  this  is  entirely  differ- 
ent in  Germany,  where  they  do  like  colored  people; 

53 


TWO    COLORED    WOMEN    WITH    THE    A.    E.    F. 

where  they  treat  them  as  gentlemen  and  as  white  men, 
and  quite  a  number  of  colored  people  have  fine  posi- 
tions in  business  in  Berlin  and  other  German  cities. 
Why,  then,  fight  the  Germans  only  for  the  benefit  of 
the  Wall  Street  robbers,  and  to  protect  the  millions  that 
they  have  loaned  to  the  English,  French,  and  Italians? 

You  have  been  made  the  tool  of  the  egotistic  and 
rapacious  rich  in  America,  and  there  is  nothing  in  the 
whole  game  for  you  but  broken  bones,  horrible  wounds, 
spoiled  health,  or  death.  No  satisfaction  whatever  will 
you  get  out  of  this  unjust  war.  You  have  never  seen 
Germany,  so  you  are  fools  if  you  allow  people  to  make 
you  hate  us.  Come  over  and  see  for  yourself.  Let  those 
do  the  fighting  who  make  the  profit  out  of  this  war. 
Don't  allow  them  to  use  you  as  cannon  fodder. 

To  carry  a  gun  in  this  service  is  not  an  honor  but  a 
shame.  Throw  it  away  and  come  over  to  the  German 
lines.  You  will  find  friends  who  will  help  you." 

After  leaving  the  Vosges  Sector,  the  organization 
was  sent  to  the  Marbache  Sector,  where  it  joined 
the  other  regiments  of  the  92nd  Division  just  out- 
side of  Toul.  It  was  here  that  the  First  Battalion 
distinguished  itself  by  coming  to  the  rescue  of  the 
56th  Infantry  on  the  left.  Captain  Morris,  and 
Lieutenants  Hunton,  Dabney,  and  Davidson  were 
instrumental  in  having  the  terrific  fire  which  was 
being  directed  at  the  regiment,  turned  onto  their 
own  organization,  thus  enabling  the  suffering  troops 
to  retire  to  safety;  they  were  at  the  same  time  able 
to  hold  their  own  ground  and  take  over  the  terri- 
tory of  the  retiring  soldiers.  For  this  action  the 
Battalion  was  cited  in  glowing  terms  by  a  French 
General,  and  awarded  the  Croix  de  Guerre.  It  was 

54 


TWO    COLORED    WOMEN    WITH    THE    A.    E.    F. 

also  given  special  mention  by  Major  General 
Ballou. 

Staff  officers  of  this  regiment  tried  very  hard  to 
prevent  entrance  of  men  into  French  homes.  One 
medical  sergeant  tells  of  order  issued  in  French 
and  English,  fixing  penalty  for  such  at  living  on 
bread  and  water  in  pup  tents  for  24  hours,  and 
being  forced  to  hike  18  miles  with  pack. 

After  the  signing  of  the  Armistice,  the  regiment 
was  sent  to  the  forwarding  camp  at  Le  Mans.  Here 
some  interesting  things  happened  by  way  of  race 
discrimination.  On  January  21,  1919,  General 
Pershing  made  a  visit  to  the  camp  for  the  purpose 
of  reviewing  the  troops.  Following  is  a  memo- 
randum posted  for  the  benefit  of  the  colored  troops: 

HEADQUARTERS  FORWARDING  CAMP 
AMERICAN  EMBARKATION  CENTER. 

A.  P.  0.  762. 

Memorandum:     No.  299— E.  0. 

To  All  Organizations.  January  21,  1919. 

1.  For  your  information  and  guidance. 
PROGRAM  REFERENCE  VISIT  OF  GENERAL  PERSHING 

9:30  A.M.  Arrive  Forwarding  Camp.  All  troops 
possible,  except  colored  to  be  under  arms. 

Formation  to  be  designed  by  General  Longan. 

Only  necessary  supply  work  an^  police  work  to  be 
performed  up  to  the  time  troops  are  dismissed  in  order 
that  they  may  prepare  for  reception  of  General  Pershing. 
As  soon  as  dismissed,  men  to  get  into  working  clothes 
and  go  to  their  respective  tasks  in  order  that  Commander- 

55 


TWO    COLORED    WOMEN    WITH    THE    A.    E.    F. 

in-Chief  may  see  construction  going  on.  (Work  of  dry 
delousing  plant  not  to  be  interrupted.)  Colored  troops 
will  be  passed  through  wet  delousing  process  as  planned. 

Colored  troops  will  furnish  usual  police  details,  and 
their  work  not  interrupted. 

Colored  troops  who  are  not  at  work,  to  be  in  their 
quarters,  or  in  their  tents,  kitchens,  delousing  plants, 
etc>,  to  be  inspected. 

Route  followed  to  be  designated  by  General  Longan. 

Plan  of  Forwarding  Camp  as  planned  to  be  in  pos- 
session of  General  Longan  to  show  Commander-in-Chief. 

11:00  A.M.  Leave  Forwarding  Camp  going  to  Classi- 
fication Camp  by  way  of  Spur. 

Officers  not  on  duty  will  assemble  at  these  Headquar- 
ters at  9:15  A.M. 

By  Command  of  BRIGADIER  GENERAL  LONGAN. 

RICHARD  M.  LEVY, 
Major  C.  A.  C.,  U.  S.  A.,  Camp  Adjutant. 


HEADQUARTERS,  367TH  INFANTRY, 

A.  P.  O.  766,  A.  E.  F. 

January  21,  1919. 

To  Organization  Commanders  for  their  information, 
guidance  and  compliance. 

Men  will  be  kept  busy  at  all  times.  Area  formerly 
used  for  tents  will  be  levelled,  ditches  filled  in,  ditches 
along  road  will  be  carefully  policed. 

By  Order  of  COLONEL  BASSETT. 

ELMER  A.  BRUETT. 

When  General  Pershing  came,  he  noted  the 
absence  of  the  colored  troops,  and  asked  for  them. 
He  was  told  that  they  were  at  work.  Whereupon 

56 

I 


TWO    COLORED    WOMEN    WITH    THE    A.    E.    F. 

he  set  another  day  for  a  return  trip,  in  order  that 
he  might  review  them  also. 

Another  order  prescribing  the  eating  place  for 
colored  officers  at  the  Le  Mans  Evacuation  Camp 
was  as  follows: 


HEADQUARTERS  AREA  D. 

January  25,  1919. 
Memorandum  C.  0.  367th  Infantry: 

White  officers  desiring  meals  in  their  quarters  will 
have  their  orderlies  report  to  Lieutenant  Williams  at  the 
tent  adjoining  Area  Headquarters  for  cards  to  present  at 
Officers'  Mess. 

All  Colored  Officers  will  mess  at  Officers'  Mess  in  D.-17. 

F.  M.  CRAWFORD, 
1st  Lt.  Infantry,  Area  "D" 


THE  EFFICIENCY  BOARD 

Several  references  have  been  made  to  efficiency 
boards  and  their  efforts  to  remove  colored  officers 
from  the  92nd  Division  and  other  colored  organi- 
zations. In  order  that  a  clear  idea  may  be  con- 
veyed as  to  the  type  of  men  who  suffered  from  these 
injustices,  as  well  as  how  these  boards  operated, 
the  life,  training,  and  experience  of  the  first  officer 
of  the  92nd  Division  to  undergo  such  an  ordeal, 
follows  in  detail: 

Captain  Matthew  Virgil  Boutte  was  born  in  New 
Iberia,  Louisiana,  of  Creole  parentage;  his  father 
was  a  sugar  planter,  of  the  type  that  used  to  strap 

57 


TWO    COLORED    WOMEN    WITH    THE    A.    E.    F. 

his  gun  on  his  saddle  girth  for  protection,  and  go 
to  the  poles  and  vote,  in  the  days  when  guns  were 
used  to  maintain  white  supremacy  in  that  State. 

He  sent  his  son  to  Straight  University,  New 
Orleans,  from  1898  to  1903,  where  he  received  the 
rudiments  of  an  education.  Afterwards  young 
Boutte  went  to  Fisk,  where  he  finished  a  high  school 
course,  and  a  four  years'  college  course;  thence  to 
the  University  of  Illinois,  where  he  graduated  as 
a  chemist  and  pharmacist;  he  then  taught  quantita- 
tive chemistry  at  Meharry  Medical  College,  and 
opened  a  drugstore  in  Nashville,  Tenn.  This  he 
disposed  of  after  receiving  his  commission  at  the 
Des  Moines  Training  School.  While  in  Nashville, 
he  joined  the  Tennessee  National  Guard,  the  only 
Colored  National  Guard  Company  in  the  South. 
With  six  months'  training  there  as  a  private,  he 
entered  the  Des  Moines  School,  and  was  one  of 
the  few  who  received  the  commission  of  captain. 

On  November  1,  1917,  he  went  to  Rockford,  111., 
where  he  attended  Machine  Gun  School  at  Camp 
Grant,  and  organized  Company  350,  Machine  Gun 
Battalion.  His  company  was  well  trained  not  only 
in  military  tactics,  but  also  to  such  a  high  degree 
of  athletic  efficiency,  that  it  received  a  loving 
cup  for  wnning  a  cross  country  run;  also  won 
cup  for  individual  running  in  whole  brigade.  The 
winner,  Sergeant  Bluitt,  was  afterward  commis- 
sioned lieutenant. 

On  June  6,  1918,  Captain  Boutte  sailed  for 
France,  with  the  advance  officers'  party  of  the  92nd 
Division.  They  landed  at  Brest  where  the  colored 

58 


GROUP  OF  OFFICERS  OF  92ND  DIVISION 


1.  Capt.     Matthew     Virgil     Boutte. 
3.   Lieut.    Benjamin    H.    Hunton.      4.   Lieut. 
Frank    L.    Chisholm.       6.  Lieut.    Ernest    M. 
R.  Daly. 


2.  Lieut.     J. 

Frank   L. 


Williams     Clifford. 
Drye.      5.  Lieut. 
Gould.       7.  Lieut.    Victor 


TWO    COLORED    WOMEN    WITH    THE    A.    E.    F. 

officers  received  a  taste  of  the  American  segrega- 
tion that  afterwards  became  so  annoying  in 
France.  Rooms  for  the  entire  party,  white  and 
colored,  had  been  reserved  at  the  Hotel  Continental, 
but  the  colored  officers  were  told  to  go  to  Camp 
Pontanezen,  where  they  would  find  barracks;  there 
they  were  to  sleep  on  boards  with  no  mattresses, 
and  only  one  blanket  apiece.  Captain  Boutte  pro- 
tested, and  the  party  returned  to  Brest,  where  they 
discovered  that  the  white  officers  had  not  made  the 
French  people  understand  that  the  rooms  held  in 
reserve  were  for  them,  and  consequently  had  gone 
elsewhere.  Captain  Boutte,  being  able  to  speak 
French  quite  fluently,  was  able  to  get  the  reserved 
rooms  for  the  six  colored  officers.  He  was  sent 
from  Brest  to  Bourbon  les  Bains  to  serve  as  billet- 
ing officer.  Here  he  was  told  not  to  take  the  French 
people's  kindness  for  friendship,  but  to  treat  them 
just  as  he  had  been  taught  to  treat  white  people  at 
home.  When  they  found  that  his  ability  to  speak 
French  gave  him  ready  entree  into  French  homes, 
they  relieved  him  of  all  work  as  billeting  officer, 
so  that  he  would  have  no  occasion  for  going  among 
the  French  people. 

On  July  7  he  was  returned  to  his  company. 
He  instructed  his  men  to  such  a  point  of  efficiency 
that  the  inspector  of  machine-gun  tactics  com- 
mended his  work.  On  July  24  he  was  placed 
under  close  arrest.  While  under  arrest  he  was 
forced  to  ride  from  one  town  to  another  in  an  open 
wagon,  and  between  two  armed  guards,  in  order 
that  his  spirit  might  be  thoroughly  crushed,  and 

59 


TWO    COLORED    WOMEN    WITH    THE    A.    E.    F. 

his  humiliation  made  complete.  Twenty-three 
specifications  under  the  96th  Article  of  War  were 
placed  against  him.  These  dealt  with  duties  im- 
posed upon  the  Commanding  Officer  of  the  Com- 
pany by  the  Commanding  Officer  of  the  Battalion. 
After  he  had  been  under  close  arrest  for  eight 
days,  the  charges  were  submitted  to  him;  following 
are  samples  of  specifications: 

"Why  did  you  command  your  first  sergeant  to 
remain  at  home  instead  of  having  him  on  the  field 
of  drill,  as  commanded  from  headquarters?" 

"Why  did  your  mess  sergeant  not  have  his  bill 
of  fare  posted  on  a  certain  day?" 

Boutte's  answer  was  that  in  order  to  be  respons- 
ible for  his  company  he  must  have  full  control  of 
his  officers,  as  was  his  military  right;  and  as  for 
the  mess  sergeant's  bill  of  fare,  it  could  easily 
have  blown  away  after  having  been  put  in  its  ac- 
customed place.  In  due  time  he  was  called  before 
the  Efficiency  Board,  in  order  that  reasons  might  be 
given  why  he  should  not  be  court-martialed.  At 
the  trial  Major  Raborg  withdrew  all  specifications 
but  six,  saying  that  he  had  found  that  the  others 
were  not  true.  Subsequently  it  was  learned  that 
he  had  written  a  letter  to  the  commanding  officer, 
asking  that  all  colored  officers  be  removed.  Upon 
being  questioned  as  to  the  efficiency  of  Captain 
Boutte,  he  replied  that  he  was  mentally  and  morally 
efficient,  but  otherwise  he  was  not.  It  then  became 
evident  that  it  was  such  a  clear  case  of  prejudice, 

60 


TWO    COLORED    WOMEN    WITH    THE    A.    E.    F. 

that  Captain  Boutte  was  returned  to  his  company, 
and  Major  Raborg  removed  as  commander  of  the 
battalion.  But  a  number  of  officers  became  victims 
of  this  now  notorious  efficiency  board,  and  while 
no  one  would  suppose  that  all  colored  officers  were 
above  criticism,  and  must  know  that  some  of  them 
were  justly  removed,  still,  there  is  no  doubt  that 
many  of  them  were  as  innocent  as  the  subject  of 
this  sketch.  Captain  Boutte  retained  Captain  Leroy 
Godman,  of  Columbus,  Ohio,  as  his  attorney,  and 
says  he  owes  much  to  him  for  his  acquittal  and 
exoneration.  All  officers  on  trial  were  not  so 
fortunate  in  being  able  to  secure  a  good  colored 
lawyer,  while  others  were  simply  condemned  as 
inefficient,  and  removed,  without  being  given  a 
chance  for  defense.  Capt  Boutte  was  afterwards 
for  six  months  a  member  of  General  Pershing's 
staff,  with  headquarters  in  Paris. 

THE  325TH  SIGNAL  BATTALION 

Attached  to  the  92nd  Division  was  the  first 
colored  Signal  Corps  ever  organized.  It  was  known 
as  the  325th  Signal  Battalion.  They  were  assem- 
bled during  the  months  of  December  and  January, 
1917-18,  respectively,  and  after  five  months'  train- 
ing were  sent  to  France.  After  an  additional  period 
of  training  at  Voisey,  Haute  Marne,  they  were  sent 
to  the  Vosges  Mountains,  and  afterwards  to  the 
Argonne,  where  they  engaged  in  actual  warfare; 
they  were  in  the  Marbache  Sector,  near  Metz,  when 
the  Armistice  was  signed.  They  were  commended 

61 


TWO    COLORED    WOMEN    WITH    THE    A.    E.    F. 

highly  both  by  the  French  and  American  High 
Command,  and  some  of  them  were  cited  for 
bravery,  and  decorated  with  the  Croix  de  Guerre. 
In  the  92nd  Division  a  total  number  of  14  officers 
and  42  men  were  cited  for  bravery. 

THE  167TH  FIELD  ARTILLERY 

The  167th  Field  Artillery  Brigade  was  composed 
of  the  349th,  350th,  and  351st  Regiments  of 
Artillery;  the  first  two  handled  light  equipment, 
and  received  their  training  at  Camp  Dix,  while  the 
latter  had  heavy  equipment  and  was  trained  at 
Camp  Meade.  They  also  had  attached  to  them 
the  317th  Ammunition  Train,  whose  36  officers 
were  all  colored  but  three.  In  this  organization 
there  were  several  officers  promoted,  among  them 
being  Major  Milton  Dean,  of  Washington,  D.  C., 
the  only  colored  man  to  be  promoted  to  such  a  rank 
overseas,  with  the  exception  of  Major  Joseph  Ward, 
of  Indianapolis,  Indiana,  whose  ability  and  ser- 
vices as  a  physician  were  thus  recognized;  very 
few  other  promotions  of  colored  officers  were  made 
in  France;  a  small  number  of  dental  lieutenants 
were  made  captains  after  the  signing  of  the  Armis- 
tice, when  they  were  relocated  in  the  Ser/ice  of 
Supply  sections;  but  the  majority  came  back  with 
the  same  rank  with  which  they  went  over,  even 
though  they  had  shown  marked  ability,  and  had 
been  cited  and  decorated  for  bravery. 

Early  in  October,  1918,  33  colored  officers,  who 
were  to  have  been  attached  to  the  167th  Field 

62 


TWO    COLORED    WOMEN    WITH    THE    A.    E.    F. 

Artillery,  landed  in  St.  Nazaire;  they  were  second 
lieutenants,  who  had  been  trained  to  take  the  places 
of  some  of  the  white  officers  of  that  organization; 
but  instead,  they  were  first  sent  to  La  Corneau, 
near  Bordeaux,  where  they  remained  about  a  week; 
they  were  then  ordered  to  leave  there,  and  after 
about  three  weeks'  junketing  about  they  became 
stationed  at  Camp  Meurcon,  near  Vannes.  At  this 
place  they  were  attached  to  the  63rd  American 
Artillery  Brigade,  composed  altogether  of  southern 
white  men;  they  were  required  to  drill  these  men, 
even  though  their  prejudices  were  so  strong  that 
they  would  not  salute  their  colored  officers  if  there 
was  any  possible  way  to  avoid  it;  but  the  officers 
stuck  to  their  task,  and  had  started  to  the  front  with 
the  regiment  when  the  Armistice  was  signed.  They 
were  then  ordered  to  Brest  to  embark  for  home; 
here  they  were  detached  from  the  regiment  and 
returned  to  Camp  Meurcon,  near  Vannes,  where 
they  were  attached  to  another  white  outfit;  they 
remained  there  another  three  weeks,  and  were  then 
sent  to  Nancy  in  search  of  the  167th  Artillery,  to 
which  they  were  originally  to  have  been  attached; 
finding  that  the  Brigade  had  left,  they  proceeded 
to  the  Evacuation  Camp  at  Le  Mans,  where  they 
found  the  organization  stationed  in  camps  located 
in  the  neighborhood  of  the  city;  they  then  became 
a  part  of  the  official  family  of  the  Brigade,  but 
some  were  detached  on  the  eve  of  their  return  to 
the  States,  and  made  to  return  home  as  casuals; 
this  seemed  to  be  a  part  of  the  policy  of  those  who 
had  charge  of  the  transportation  of  troops.  The 

5  63 


TWO    COLORED    WOMEN    WITH    THE   A.    E.    F. 

writer  remembers  several  incidents  during  her 
period  of  service  at  Brest,  where  colored  officers 
had  made  all  preparations  to  return  with  their 
organizations,  and  within  a  few  hours  of  sailing 
would  be  detached;  some  contended  vigorously 
for  what  they  considered  their  rights,  while  others 
resigned  themselves  to  their  fate;  then  frequently 
when  they  would  have  sailing  orders  to  return  home 
as  casuals,  they  would  be  turned  back,  when  it 
would  be  discovered  that  they  were  colored;  some- 
times this  occurred  even  after  they  had  gotten  on 
the  gang  plank.  On  July  16,  1919,  the  184th 
Casual  Company,  together  with  the  323rd  Ordi- 
nance Battalion,  about  300  in  number,  were  sent 
back  after  half  of  them  had  gotten  aboard  the  boat, 
as  a  result  of  a  protest  against  their  color.  Some 
of  these  men  came  to  the  writer  sick  at  heart,  and 
said  that  such  treatment  seemed  more  than  they 
could  bear. 

The  167th  Field  Artillery,  the  first  of  its  kind 
that  was  ever  organized,  was  under  the  command 
of  Brigadier  General  Sherburne,  of  Massachusetts, 
who  seemed  in  every  way  to  have  the  interest  of 
the  troops  at  heart;  they  landed  at  Brest,  June  26, 
1918,  and  after  being  attached  to  the  92nd  Division, 
were  engaged  in  action  at  Pagny,  Bois  Frehart, 
Cherimo,  and  Bois  La  Cote;  and  it  was  under  the 
barrage  of  this  Brigade  that  the  Division  while  on 
the  Lorraine  Front,  between  Toul  and  Nancy,  was 
able  to  advance,  capture  a  number  of  towns,  and 
stand  ready  to  enter  the  coveted  stronghold  of 
Metz,  when  the  Armistice  was  signed. 

64 


TWO    COLORED    WOMEN    WITH    THE    A.    E.    F. 

During  their  period  of  action,  they  gave  excel- 
lent service,  and  the  following  words  of  commenda- 
tion were  given  the  351st  Regiment  by  their  com- 
mander: 


HEADQUARTERS  351sx  FIELD  ARTILLERY 

AMERICAN  EXPEDITIONARY  FORCES 

GENERAL  ORDER  No.  3. 

December  27,  1918. 

When  you  landed  in  France  you  were  acclaimed  as 
comrades  in  arms,  brothers  in  a  great  cause.  In  the 
days  that  have  passed,  no  man,  no  little  child,  has  had 
cause  to  regret  that  first  glorious  welcome.  Surrounded 
by  new  and  unusual  conditions,  beset  by  subtle  tempta- 
tions, you  have  kept  your  hearts  high,  and  with  purpose 
fixed  on  the  high  ideal  of  service,  you  have  put  away 
those  things  that  did  not  contribute  strength  for  the  task 
at  hand.  You  have  been  men. 

Through  rain  and  in  tents,  or  in  cold  billets,  you  have 
cheerfully  pushed  on  to  fit  yourselves  for  the  final  test, 
and  at  length  you  came  to  the  front  lines.  There  under 
fire  by  day  and  night  you  served  the  pieces,  sending 
back  gas  for  gas,  and  shell  for  shell,  two  for  one.  The 
orders  reached  the  guns  because  you  maintained  the  con- 
nections; the  ammunition  was  there  because  neither  the 
elements  nor  enemy  stopped  you.  The  mission  has  been 
accomplished  and  you  have  been  what  America  expects 
her  sons  to  be — brave  soldiers'. 

Your  first  six  months  of  service  on  foreign  soil  have 
ended;  accordingly,  all  officers  and  enlisted  men  of  the 
351st  Field  Artillery  are  authorized  and  ordered  to  wear 
one  Service  Chevron.  As  surely  as  this  chevron  stands 

65 


TWO    COLORED    WOMEN    WITH    THE    A.    E.    F. 

for  something  accomplished,  just  as  surely  it  imposes 
an  added  obligation;  it  sets  a  new  standard  of  soldierly 
qualities;  it  is  a  reminder  of  what  manner  of  men  you 
are.  As  you  have  earned  it  fairly  and  well,  so  you  will 
strive  to  be  worthy  of  it,  and  of  the  things  for  which  it 
stands',  every  man  a  guardian  of  the  good  name  of  the 
regiment. 

By  Command  of  COLONEL  WADE  H.  CARPENTER. 

GEORGE  C.  MATHER, 
Capt.  F.  A.,  U.  S.  A.,  Adj.  351s/  Field  Artillery. 


In  taking  his  farewell  of  the  167th  Field  Artil- 
lery Brigade,  Brigadier  General  Sherburne  re- 
corded the  following: 

1.  In  leaving  the  167th  Field  Artillery  Brigade  to  take 
up  other  duties,  the  Brigade  Commander  wishes  to  record 
in  General  Orders  the  entire  satisfaction  it  has  given  him 
to  have  commanded  the  first  brigade  of  Negro  Artillery 
ever  organized.    This  satisfaction  is  due  to  the  excellent 
record  the  men  have  made.    Undertaking  a  work  that  was 
new  to  them,  they  brought  it  faithfulness,  zeal,  and  patri- 
otic  fervor.     They   went   into   the    line   and    conducted 
themselves  in  a  manner  to  win  praise  of  all.    They  had 
been  picked  for  important  work  in  the  offensive  which 
had  been  planned  to  start  after  November  llth. 

2.  The    Brigade    Commander    will    ever    cherish    the 
words  of  the  Commander  in  Chief,  the  compliments  he 
paid  in  all  sincerity  to  this  Brigade  while  he  watched 
it  pass  in  review  last  Wednesday.    He  wishes  the  Brigade 
to   understand   that   these   words    of   appreciation   were 
evoked  only  because  each  man  had  worked  conscientious- 
ly and  unflaggingly  to  make  the  organization  a  success. 

66 


TWO    COLORED    WOMEN    WITH    THE    A.    E.    F. 

3.  The  Brigade  Commander  feels  that  he  should  also 
make  acknowledgment  in  General  Orders  of  the  re- 
markable esprit-de-corps  displayed  by  the  officers  of  the 
Brigade.  They  were  pioneers  in  a  field,  where  at  the 
start,  success  was  problematical.  This  being  the  first 
Brigade  of  its  kind  ever  organized,  it  has  been  only 
natural  that  the  work  of  the  men  should  have  been  fea- 
tured prominently,  yet  the  same  prominence  and  the  same 
praise  should  be  accorded  the  officers.  While  the  Bri- 
gade Commander  takes  this  occasion  to  speak  of  their 
splendid  work,  he  believes  that  their  greatest  praise 
will  come  from  the  men  themselves,  not  only  now,  but 
ever  in  greater  measure  when  they  have  returned  to 
civilian  life  and  have  secured  the  perspective  of  time 
and  experience  that  will  teach  them  how  fortunate  they 
were  in  making  the  race's  initial  effort  as  artillerymen 
under  officers  who  were  both  skilful  artillerymen,  and 
sympathetic  leaders. 

By  Command  of  BRIGADIER  GENERAL  SHERBURNE. 

HENRY  KING  TOOTLE, 
1st  Lieut.,  F.  A.,  U.  S.  A.,  Acting  Adjutant. 

In  concluding  the  story  of  the  92nd  Division, 
nothing  could  be  said  of  more  significance  than 
the  farewell  words  used  by  Major  General  Ballou, 
who  had  crushed  the  spirit  of  the  officers  and  men 
in  the  very  beginning  of  its  existence  by  the  notori- 
ous Bulletin  No.  35,  and  who  had  continued  his 
policy  of  catering  to  southern  prejudice  up  until 
the  time  he  was  removed  from  the  organization; 
the  memorandum  is  signed  by  Col.  Allen  J.  Greer, 
who  had  used  his  good  offices  in  every  way  pos- 
sible to  get  all  the  colored  officers  removed  from 
the  Division.2 

67 


TWO    COLORED    WOMEN    WITH    THE    A.    E.    F. 

HEADQUARTERS  92ND  DIVISION, 
AMERICAN  EXPEDITIONARY  FORCES, 

A.  P.  0.  766. 
Memorandum:  November  18,  1918. 

Five  months  ago  to-day  the  92d  Division  landed  in 
France. 

After  seven  weeks  of  training  it  took  over  a  sector  in 
the  front  line,  and  since  then  some  portion  of  the  Division 
has  been  practically  continuously  under  fire. 

It  participated  in  the  last  battle  of  the  war  with  credita- 
ble success,  continuously  pressing  the  attack  against 
highly  organized  defensive  works.  It  advanced  success- 
fully on  the  first  day  of  the  battle,  attaining  its  objectives 
and  capturing  prisoners.  This  in  the  face  of  determined 
opposition  by  an  alert  enemy,  and  against  rifle,  machine 
gun  and  artillery  fire.  The  issue  of  the  second  day's 
battle  was  rendered  indecisive  by  the  order  to  cease 
firing  at  11  A.  M.,  when  the  Armistice  became  effective. 

The  Division  Commander,  in  taking  leave  of  what  he 
considers  himself  justly  entitled  to  regard  as  his  Division, 
feels  that  he  has  accomplished  his  mission.  His  work 
is  done  and  will  endure.  The  results  have  not  always 
been  brilliant,,  and  many  times  were  discouraging,  yet 
a  well-organized,  well-disciplined,  and  well-trained 
Colored  Division  has  been  created  and  commanded  by 
him  to  include  the  last  shot  of  the  great  World  War. 

May  the  future  conduct  of  every  officer  and  man  be 
such  as  to  reflect  credit  upon  the  Division  and  upon  the 
colored  race. 

By  Command  of  MAJOR  GENERAL  BALLOU, 

ALLEN  J.  GREER, 

Col.,  General  Staff,  Chief  of  Staff. 
Official: 
EDW.  J.  TURGEON, 

Ma].  Inf.,  U.  S.  A.,  Acting  Adjutant. 

68 


TWO    COLORED    WOMEN    WITH    THE    A.    E.    F. 

THE  93RD  DIVISION 

The  93rd  Division  was  to  have  been  composed 
of  the  15th  New  York  National  Guard  (369th 
Infantry),  the  8th  Illinois  National  Guard  (370th 
Infantry)  and  the  371st  and  372nd  Infantries. 
Col.  Charles  Young  was  to  have  been  its  com- 
mander. The  Division  never  materialized,  how- 
ever, and  the  different  regiments  were  brigaded 
with  the  French  troops. 


THE  369TH  INFANTRY 

The  369th  Infantry,  or  15th  New  York  National 
Guard  was  organized  in  1916,  and  did  guard  duty 
during  the  summer  of  1917  in  the  States  of  New 
York,  New  Jersey  and  Pennsylvania.  It  came  into 
existence  with  the  understanding  that  it  was  to 
have  a  full  quota  of  colored  officers;  some  un- 
favorable conditions,  however,  caused  very  few 
to  attempt  to  qualify,  and  when  they  sailed  for 
France  on  December  14,  1917,  they  had  only  the 
following  named:  Captains  Charles  W.  Fillmore 
and  Napoleon  B.  Marshall,  First  Lieutenants 
George  W.  Lacey  and  James  Reese  Europe,  and 
Second  Lieutenant  D.  Lincoln  Reid;  the  other 
officers  were  white,  with  Col.  William  Hayward 
commanding. 

The  regiment  landed  at  Brest  on  December  27, 
1917,  being  the  first  colored  American  fighting 
troops  to  put  their  feet  on  French  soil;  on  January 
1,  1918,  they  left  by  train  for  St.  Nazaire,  where 

69 


TWO    COLORED    WOMEN    WITH    THE    A.    E.    F. 

they  remained  for  two  months  building  railroads, 
docks,  piers,  and  working  in  store  houses,  in  addi- 
tion to  keeping  up  their  military  training  exercises. 
Here  their  name  was  changed  from  15th  New  York 
N.  G.  to  369th  Infantry.  On  March  12  they  were 
sent  to  Givry  in  Argonne,  where  they  were  billeted 
at  Noirleu,  St.  Mard,  and  Remacourt.  They  re- 
mained at  these  points  until  April  8,  when  they 
were  sent  to  Main-de-Massiges,  Champagne  Sector, 
where  they  were  attached  to  the  16th  Division  of 
the  4th  French  Army,  and  became  to  all  intents 
and  purposes,  French  soldiers;  their  only  mark  of 
differentiation  was  their  uniforms,  and  sometimes 
they  even  wore  the  French  helmet. 

For  191  days  these  soldiers  were  in  the  front 
line  trenches,  and  it  is  claimed  by  them  that  they 
remained  there  for  a  longer  continuous  period 
than  any  troops  in  the  allied  armies.  They  were 
engaged  in  the  battles  of  Main-de-Massiges,  Butte- 
de-Mesil,  the  Dormois,  Seechault,  Argonne  Forest, 
Ripont,  Kuppinase,  Vosges  Mountains,  the  Aisne, 
the  Tourbe,  Maison-en-Champagne,  Fontaine,  and 
Bellevue  Ridge. 

By  an  accident,  it  is  said,  the  regimental  records 
were  lost,  but  the  casualties  are  estimated  at  600 
killed  and  3,000  replacements;  the  replacements 
were  made  from  new  recruits  just  brought  over 
from  the  States,  and  sometimes  they  more  than 
filled  the  vacancies  made  by  the  killed  and 
wounded.  These  new  recruits  were  often  untrained, 
and  frequently  had  to  be  taught  to  load  a  gun 
after  they  reached  the  front  line  trenches;  their 

70 


GROUP  OF  COMMISSIONED  AND  NON-COMMISSIONED  OFFICERS 
OF  15xH  NEW  YORK  (369TH  INF.) 

1.  Capt.  Charles  W.  Fillmore.     2.  Capt.  Napoleon  B.  Marshall.     3.  Group 
of  Sergeants.     4.  Needham  Roberts.     5.  Henry  Johnson. 


TWO    COLORED    WOMEN    WITH    THE    A.    E.    F. 

ignorance  of  how  to  protect  themselves  in  battle 
caused  the  list  of  killed  and  wounded  to  be  much 
larger  than  it  otherwise  would  have  been;  but  with 
the  assistance  of  their  comrades  in  arms,  they  soon 
became  seasoned  soldiers;  and,  according  to  a 
record  published  by  19  non-commissioned  officers, 
while  the  regiment  made  tremendous  sacrifices,  they 
inflicted  much  greater  losses  on  the  enemy  than 
they  themselves  suffered,  and  captured  many 
prisoners  and  munitions  of  war. 

For  its  record  in  the  great  German  Offensive  of 
July,  1918,  and  the  Allied  Offensive  of  the  fol- 
lowing September  and  October,  the  regiment  was 
awarded  the  Croix  de  Guerre.  In  addition  to  this 
there  were  132  officers  and  men  cited  for  conspic- 
uous and  meritorious  conduct,  and  awarded  the 
Croix  de  Guerre  or  the  Legion  d'Honneur.  Among 
these  were  the  now  famous  Henry  Johnson  and 
Needham  Roberts,  the  first  two  Americans,  white 
or  colored,  to  be  decorated ;  these  two  men  defeated 
twenty  or  more  Germans  in  one  midnight  engage- 
ment, by  the  skillful  use  of  hand  grenades,  the 
butt  ends  of  their  rifles,  and  the  bolo  knife;  they 
routed  an  entire  machine-gun  nest,  and  brought 
back  numerous  war  trophies;  both  were  severely 
wounded,  and  remained  in  the  hospital  for  some 
time  before  they  were  again  able  for  service. 

After  the  victory  of  the  great  German  Offensive 
of  July,  1918,  General  Gouraud,  Commander  of 
the  4th  French  Army,  with  whom  the  organization 
was  fighting,  issued  the  following  bulletin: 

71 


TWO    COLORED    WOMEN    WITH    THE    A.    E.    F. 

Fourth  Army  Staff, 
5th  B.,  No.  6954/3.  July  16,  1918. 

TO  THE  FRENCH  AND  AMERICAN  SOLDIERS  OF 
THE  FOURTH  FRENCH  ARMY 

During  the  day  of  July  15th  you  have  broken  the 
efforts  of  fifteen  German  Divisions  supported  by  ten 
others. 

They  were,  from  their  orders,  to  reach  the  Marne 
in  the  evening;  you  have  stopped  them  where  we  wanted 
to  give  and  to  win  the  battle. 

You  have  the  right  to  be  proud,  heroic  infantry- 
men and  machine  gunners  of  the  advanced  posts,  who 
have  signalled  the  attack,  and  who  have  subdivided 
it,  aviators  who  flew  over  it,  battalions  and  batteries 
who  have  broken  it,  staffs  who  have  so  minutely  pre- 
pared that  battlefield. 

It  is  a  hard  blow  to  the  enemy.  It  is  a  beautiful 
day  for  France. 

I  rely  upon  you  that  it  will  always  be  the  same, 
each  time  they  will  dare  to  attack  you,  and  with  all 
my  heart  of  a  soldier,  I  thank  you. 

(Signed)     GOURAUD. 


In  combination  with  the  facts  that  the  regiment 
was  the  first  of  the  colored  Americans  to  see  active 
service  at  the  front,  and  produced  the  first  two 
winners  of  the  Croix  de  Guerre  of  all  the  soldiers 
of  the  American  Expeditionary  Forces,  they  have 
the  final  distinction  of  having  been  the  first  unit 
of  the  Allied  Armies  to  reach  the  Rhine.  They 
arrived  at  Blodelsheim  on  the  Rhine  on  November 

72 


TWO    COLORED    WOMEN    WITH    THE    A.    E.    F. 

18,  1918,  as  the  advance  guard  of  the  161st  Divi- 
sion of  the  2nd  French  Army.  The  next  day  after 
the  signing  of  the  Armistice,  Marshal  Foch  gave  out 
the  following  document  to  be  read  to  the  command; 
it  was  read  to  these  men  three  days  after  they 
reached  Blodelsheim: 


HEADQUARTERS  369TH  INFANTRY,  U.  S.  A. 

AMERICAN  EXPEDITIONARY  FORCES, 

France,  21st  November,  1918. 

BLODELSHEIM 

Document  No.  21-11-3. 
Bulletin: 

1.  The  following  is  published   and  will  be  read  to 
the  command: 

The  Commander  in  Chief  Allies  G.  H.  Q. 

of  the  Allied  Armies  November,  12,  1918. 

General  Staff 
1st  Section 
5,961 


OFFICERS,  NON-COMMISSIONED  OFFICERS,  AND  PRIVATES 

After  having  boldly  stopped  the  enemy,  you  have  at- 
tacked them  for  months  with  indefatigable  faith  and 
energy,  giving  them  no  rest. 

You  have  won  the  greatest  battle  in  history,  and  saved 
the  most  sacred  cause,  the  Liberty  of  the  World. 

73 


TWO    COLORED    WOMEN    WITH    THE    A.    E.    F. 

Be  proud  of  it. 

With  immortal  glory  you  have  adorned  your  flags. 

Posterity  will  be  indebted  to  you  with  gratitude. 

The  Marshal  of  France, 

Commander  in  Chief  of  the  Allied  Armies, 

FOCH. 

By  order  of  COLONEL  HAYWARD: 

T.  A.  RYAN, 
1st  Lt.,  369th  Infantry, 

Acting  Adjutant. 


While  the  regiment  embarked  for  France  with 
five  colored  officers,  it  returned  with  only  one, 
Lieutenant  James  Reese  Europe,  of  the  famous 
15th  Infantry  Band.  The  others  were  transferred  to 
other  organizations  under  the  peculiar  system  that 
was  used  for  the  purpose  of  moving  colored  officers 
about  like  checkers  on  a  checker  board.  Captain 
Marshall  was  sent  to  the  365th  Infantry,  while  the 
other  three  were  attached  to  the  370th.  Captain 
Fillmore  was  decorated  with  the  Croix  de  Guerre 
before  leaving  the  369th,  and  Lieutenants  Lacey 
and  Reid  after  they  became  members  of  the  regi- 
ment from  Illinois,  a  proof  that  the  French  recog- 
nized their  ability. 

The  regiment  returned  to  the  States  on  Febru- 
ary 12,  1918.  They  had  made  a  splendid  record 
all  through  their  period  of  service,  and — in  the 
words  of  a  tribute  paid  by  the  new  15th  Regiment 

74 


TWO    COLORED    WOMEN    WITH    THE    A.    E.    F. 

to  the  old — they  "Never  lost  a  prisoner,  a  trench, 
nor  a  foot  of  ground,  and  demonstrated  for  all 
time  the  bravery  of  the  American  Negro,  his  high 
quality  as  a  soldier,  and  his  devotion  to  the  cause 
of  liberty." 

The  City  of  New  York  gave  them  a  tremendous, 
whole-hearted,  and  royal  welcome,  and  the  New 
York  Herald  republished  in  their  honor  the  fol- 
lowing poem  from  "The  Black  Phalanx,'9  com- 
posed by  George  Henry  Boker: 


THE  BLACK  REGIMENT 

"Dark  as  the  clouds  even, 
Ranked  in  the  western  heaven, 
Waiting  the  breath  that  lifts 
All  the  dread  mass,  and  drifts 
Tempest  and  falling  brand 
Over  a  ruined  land, — 
So  still  and  orderly, 
Arm  to  arm,  knee  to  knee, 
Waiting  the  great  event, 
Stands  the  black  regiment. 

Down  the  long  dusky  line 
Teeth  gleam  and  eyeballs  shine; 
And  the  bright  bayonet, 
Bristling  and  firmly  set, 
Flashed  with  a  purpose  grand, 
Long  ere  the  sharp  command 
Of  the  fierce  rolling  drum 
Told  them  their  time  had  come, 
Told  them  what  word  was  sent 
For  the  black  regiment. 

75 


TWO    COLORED    WOMEN    WITH    THE    A.    E.    t\ 

'Now,'  the  flag-sergeant  cried, 
'Though  death  and  hell  betide, 
Let  the  whole  nation  see 
If  we  are  fit  to  be 
Free  in  this  land;  or  bound 
Down,  like  the  whining  hound, — 
Bound  with  red  stripes  of  pain 
In  our  old  chains  again!' 
Oh,  what  a  shout  there  went 
From  the  black  regiment! 

'Charge!'  trump  and  drum  awoke; 
Onward  the  bondmen  broke; 
Bayonet  and  saber  stroke 
Vainly  opposed  their  rush, 
Through  the  wild  battles'  crush, 
With  but  one  thought  aflush, 
Driving  their  lords  like  chaff, 
In  the  guns'  mouths  they  laugh, 
Or  at  the  slippery  brands, 
Leaping  with  open  hands, 
Down  they  tear  man  and  horse, 
Down  in  their  awful  course; 
Trampling  with  bloody  heel 
Over  the  crashing   steel, 
All  their  eyes  forward  bent, 
Rushed  the  black  regiment. 

'Freedom!'  their  battle  cry, — 
'Freedom!'  or  leave  to  die!' 
Ah!  and  they  meant  the  word,  • 
Not  as  with  us  'tis  heard, 
Not  a  mere  party  shout: 
They  gave  their  spirits  out; 
Trusted  the  end  to  God, 
And  on  the  gory  sod 
Rolled  in  triumphant  blood, 

76 


VIEWS  TAKEN   FROM   THE  BATTLEFIELDS   OF   THE 
GREAT  WAR 

1.    French    Anti-Aircraft    Gun.      2.    Long    German    Gun.      3.    Mrs. 

Hunton   in  barbed   wire   entanglement  in   "No   Man's   Land."     4.  A 

View  of  Trench  in  Hindenburg  Line,  at  Soissons.     5.  Dead  Man's 

Hill.     6.  French  Flame  Throwers.     7.  Burying  German  Dead. 


TWO    COLORED    WOMEN    WITH    THE    A.    E.    F. 

Glad  to  strike  one  free  blow, 
Whether  for  weal  or  woe; 
Glad  to  breathe  one  free  breath, 
Though  on  the  lips  of  death; 
Praying — alas!  in  vain! — 
That  they  might  fall  again 
So  they  could  once  more  see 
That  burst  to  liberty! 
This  was  what  'freedom'  lent 
To  the  black  regiment. 

Hundreds  on  hundreds  fell; 
But  they  are  resting  well; 
Scourges  and  shackles  strong, 
Never  shall  do  them  wrong. 
Oh,  to  the  living  few, 
Soldiers,  be  just  and  true! 
Hail  them  as  comrades  tried; 
Fight  with  them  side  by  side; 
Never,  in  field  or  tent, 
Scorn  the  black  regiment." 


THE  370TH  INFANTRY  (STH  ILLINOIS,  N.  G.) 

We  feel  that  special  emphasis  should  be  given 
the  370th  Infantry,  because  it  was  the  only  regi- 
ment that  crossed  the  sea  with  a  full  quota  of 
colored  officers;  made  a  splendid  record  for 
bravery;  received  numerous  certificates  from  the 
French  people  setting  forth  their  high  appreciation 
for  their  excellent  behavior;  received  numerous 
individual  citations  for  conspicuous  and  merito- 
rious conduct,  and  returned  with  a  full  quota  of 
colored  officers  with  the  exception  of  a  colonel, 
one  captain,  and  one  2nd  lieutenant. 

77 


TWO    COLORED    WOMEN    WITH    THE    A.    E.    F. 

When  the  regiment  embarked  for  France,  the 
following  named  were  the  field  officers:  Col. 
Franklin  A.  Denison,  Lieut.  Col.  Otis  B.  Duncan, 
Major  Rufus  M.  Stokes,  Major  Charles  L.  Hunt, 
Major  Arthur  B.  Williams,  the  Regimental  Adju- 
tant being  Capt.  John  H.  Patton.  After  being  in 
France  for  a  period  of  three  months  and  a  few 
days,  Colonel  Denison,  because  of  illness,  was  re- 
placed by  Col.  T.  A.  Roberts,  who  became  the  only 
white  officer  in  the  regiment.  Later  Capt.  John  T. 
Prout,  and  2nd  Lieutenant  Stapleton  were  added, 
making  a  total  of  three  white  officers.  This  left 
Lieutenant  Colonel  Duncan,  of  Springfield,  111.,  the 
highest  ranking  colored  officer  overseas.  The 
record  of  this  regiment  should  forever  silence  the 
contention  made  by  so  many,  that  colored  men  have 
not  the  ability  to  be  officers,  and  that  at  any  rate, 
colored  soldiers  will  not  follow  the  leadership  of 
officers  of  their  own  race. 

The  regiment  was  called  into  service  on  July 
25,  1917,  and  the  following  October  entrained  for 
Houston,  Texas,  where  they  spent  the  winter  in 
training,  and  where  they  conducted  themselves  with 
such  admirable  decorum,  that  even  that  hostile  city 
commended  and  applauded  them  vigorously  when 
they  departed  on  March  6,  1918,  for  Newport 
News,  from  which  city  they  were  to  take  transport 
for  France. 

They  landed  at  Brest  on  April  6,  1918,  and 
after  spending  three  days  at  Camp  Pontanezen, 
took  train  and  went  to  the  town  of  Grand  Villars. 
Here  they  were  attached  to  the  73rd  French  Divi- 

78 


TWO    COLORED    WOMEN    WITH    THE    A.    E.    F. 

sion,  were  reorganized  according  to  the  French 
regulations,  and  in  fact  became  French  soldiers  in 
every  respect  except  their  uniforms;  they  were  even 
furnished  with  French  food,  and  chefs  to  teach 
them  how  to  prepare  it  most  economically.  They 
were  given  six  weeks  intensive  training,  and  were 
allowed  to  mingle  freely  at  all  times  with  the 
French  troops,  in  order  that  they  might  profit  by 
close  contact  with  veteran  warriors.  A  new  equal- 
ity was  tasted  at;  this  time  by  these  American 
colored  men;  they  were  treated  upon  an  absolutely 
equal  basis  with  other  men,  while  their  officers 
moved  with  perfect  ease  among  the  highest  officials 
of  the  French  Army;  they  were  received  with  all 
social  and  military  courtesy  due  their  rank. 

After  iheir  period  of  training,  they  were  moved 
by  easy  stages  towards  the  front,  and  on  June  21 
began  occupying  positions  in  the  St.  Mihiel  Sector, 
where  there  was  desultory  machine  gun  and  rifle 
firing;  by  July  6  they  had  been  moved  by  train 
and  placed  immediately  behind  the  lines  in  the 
Argonne  Forest;  here  they  remained  six  weeks, 
and  were  then  assigned  to  be  one  of  the  three  in- 
fantry regiments  of  the  59th  French  Division,  which 
had  had  its  ranks  largely  depleted  by  the  battles  of 
Chavigny,  Leury,  and  the  Bois  de  Beaumont. 

On  September  15,  1918,  the  regiment  was 
ordered  to  the  region  of  St.  Bandry  (Meuse) .  Four 
companies  took  position  opposite  Mont  de  Singnes, 
and  an  attack  was  ordered  which  lasted  five  days 
(September  16-21);  during  this  time  both  officers 
and  men  had  a  chance  to  distinguish  themselves, 

6  79 


TWO    COLORED    WOMEN    WITH    THE    A.    E.    F. 

and  a  number  were  awarded  decorations  for  meri- 
torious and  gallant  conduct.  Perhaps  the  most 
noteworthy  of  these  was  Sergt.  Matthew  Jenkins, 
who  captured  a  large  section  of  the  enemy  works, 
with  only  a  platoon  of  men  at  his  command.  He 
advanced  so  far  ahead  of  the  units  on  his  right 
and  left  that  he  was  cut  off  from  supplies,  and  he 
and  his  men  went  without  food  for  two  days;  they 
turned  their  captured  ammunition  and  machine 
guns  upon  the  enemy,  and  held  the  positions  until 
reinforcements  could  reach  them.  For  this  act  of 
heroism,  Sergeant  Jenkins  was  awarded  the  French 
Croix  de  Guerre  and  the  American  Distinguished 
Service  Cross. 

On  September  26,  1918,  the  regiment  for  the 
first  time  took  over  a  full  regimental  sector,  Colonel 
Roberts  locating  his  commanding  post  at  Antioch 
Farm.  From  this  date  until  the  enemy  began  its 
retreat  on  October  12,  the  organization  was  con- 
stantly under  fire  from  enemy  equipment  located  in 
the  Bois  de  Mortier,  a  dense  wood. 

Perhaps  the  most  important  engagement  was 
that  which  occurred  at  Ferme  de  La  Riviere.  Here 
on  September  30,  Lieut.  Col.  Duncan's  battalion 
was  ordered  to  make  an  attack  which  necessitated 
an  advance  across  open  fields.  While  preparations 
were  going  on  enemy  aviators  discovered  their 
position,  and  a  terrific  bombardment  was  at  once 
started,  incapacitating  three  company  commanders, 
three  lieutenants,  and  completely  demoralizing  the 
company.  Lieut.  George  M.  Murphy  was  ordered 
to  detail  a  man  to  gather  up  the  scattered  frag- 

80 


TWO    COLORED    WOMEN    WITH    THE    A.    E.    F. 

ments  of  the  organization.  Realizing  the  impor- 
tance of  the  mission,  the  lieutenant  himself  volun- 
teered, and  though  under  continuous  shell  fire  was 
able  to  locate  and  reorganize  the  company.  For  this 
action  Lieutenant  Murphy  was  cited  for  especially 
conspicuous  and  meritorious  conduct. 

The  attack  which  Lieutenant  Colonel  Duncan 
was  ordered  to  make  was  prosecuted  vigorously, 
despite  the  bombardment  of  enemy  aviators,  and 
by  October  4,  one  of  the  strongest  points  in  the 
Hindenburg  Line  had  been  taken. 

On  October  4,  1918,  a  patrol  of  one  officer  and 
twenty  men  was  called  for,  to  penetrate  into  the  Bois 
de  Mortier,  in  order  to  ascertain  the  strength  of  the 
enemy.  Capt.  Chester  Saunders,  and  the  desired 
number  of  men  immediately  responded,  and  at 
3.30  o'clock  in  the  morning  started  on  the  mission. 
They  were  within  fifty  yards  of  the  enemy  before 
they  were  discovered.  Fire  from  all  sides  was 
immediately  opened  upon  them,  but  Captain 
Saunders,  with  remarkable  self-possession,  made 
notation  of  the  nests  of  machine  guns,  and  returned 
to  his  organization  just  before  daylight,  without  the 
loss  of  a  man.  Captain  Saunders  was  awarded  the 
Croix  de  Guerre,  and  the  patrol  was  highly  com- 
mended by  the  commanding  officer  for  their  heroic 
action. 

On  October  12,  1918,  the  entire  division  was 
ordered  to  advance,  and  the  Battalion  under  Cap- 
tain Patton  took  up  the  pursuit  by  way  of  the  Bois 
de  Oiry.  This  wood  had  just  been  evacuated  by 
the  Germans,  and  to  show  that  they  were  expecting 

81 


TWO    COLORED    WOMEN    WITH    THE    A.    E.    F. 

to  be  followed  up  closely  by  the  allied  troops,  they 
left  everything  in  readiness  for  them.  Tools  valu- 
able for  wire  cutting,  and  other  devices  so  neces- 
sary in  modern  warfare,  were  left  in  easy  reach, 
but  no  sooner  would  they  be  picked  up  than  there 
would  be  an  explosion.  All  writing  conveniences 
were  left  ready  for  immediate  use,  but  every  pen- 
holder was  a  messenger  of  death.  Beds  would  be 
so  inviting  to  the  tired  and  footsore  soldier,  but 
the  sdieets  held  deadly  chemicals,  which  lulled 
him  into  an  endless  sleep.  These  are  examples 
which  show  the  wicked  ingenuity  of  the  German. 
Captain  Patton,  for  making  this  exceedingly  diffi- 
cult advance  through  this  maze  of  trickery,  was 
commended  by  the  commanding  officer,  as  was 
Major  Stokes,  who  was  successful  in  clearing  the 
Bois  de  Mortier,  a  very  important  enemy  strong- 
hold. 

On  October  27,  1918,  after  a  rest  period  which 
was  spent  in  building  roads,  the  regiment  was  again 
ordered  into  the  lines.  They  moved  up  into  the 
vicinity  of  Grandlup,  where  they  were  subjected  to 
severe  shelling,  and  in  some  places  machine-gun 
and  rifle  firing.  Company  A,  stationed  in  the  vicin- 
ity of  Chantrud  Farm,  suffered  a  loss  of  35  killed 
and  50  wounded  as  a  result  of  a  shell  falling  in 
their  midst  while  at  mess. 

On  November  5,  1918,  a  general  advance  was 
ordered,  which  was  continued  in  hot  pursuit  of  the 
enemy  until  the  Armistice  was  signed  on  Novem- 
ber 11,  1918.  Company  C,  of  Prout's  Battalion, 
under  command  of  Capt.  James  H.  Smith,  was 

82 


TWO    COLORED    WOMEN    WITH    THE    A.    E.    F. 

awarded  the  Croix  de  Guerre  and  palm,  the  high- 
est citation  awarded  in  the  regiment.  This  was 
given  for  the  attacking  and  occupying  of  St.  Pierre- 
mont,  the  crossing  of  the  River  Sierre,  and  the 
taking  of  three  pieces  of  enemy  artillery  and  several 
machine  guns,  despite  strong  resistance  from  the 
enemy. 

For  attacking  and  taking  the  town  of  Lorgny, 
from  which  point  the  French  commander  and  his 
troops  were  being  severely  shelled,  Lieut.  Osceola 
A.  Browning,  commander  of  Company  M,  and  a 
number  of  others,  received  the  French  Croix  de 
Guerre,  and  the  American  Distinguished  Service 
Cross. 

On  November  11,  just  before  the  signing  of 
the  Armistice,  an  enemy  combat  train  of  about 
fifty  vehicles  was  captured,  thus  completing  a 
record  of  continuous,  difficult  and  vigorous  war- 
fare, every  inch  of  the  way  from  Antioch  Farm, 
near  the  ruins  of  Vauxillion,  to  the  Belgian  border; 
Lieutenant  Colonel  Duncan  won  the  name  of  the 
lieutenant  colonel  who  would  not  stop  fighting, 
because  he  led  his  troops  into  the  Belgian  Village 
of  Gue  D'Hossus,  before  he  could  be  reached  with 
the  message  that  the  Armistice  had  become  effective. 

The  370th  Infantry  carried  with  it  a  full  staff 
of  colored  medical  officers,  composed  of  Major 
James  R.  White,  in  command,  Captains  Leonard  W. 
Lewis,  and  Spencer  Dickinson,  and  Lieutenants 
James  F.  Lawson,  Dan  M.  Moore,  Rufus  Bacote, 
George  W.  Antoine,  Claudius  Ballard,  and  two 
dentists,  Lieutenants  Tancil  and  Roe. 

83 


TWO    COLORED    WOMEN    WITH    THE    A.    E.    F. 

With  careful  elimination  of  all  soldiers  who  were 
not  physically  fit,  the  organization  entered  the  ser- 
vice in  excellent  condition.  During  the  winter  of 
1917  and  1918,  much  time  was  given  by  the  medi- 
cal department  to  the  delivering  of  lectures,  and  a 
systematic  course  of  training  for  the  development 
of  healthy  and  robust  physiques  was  inaugurated. 
The  result  of  this  careful  training  was  that  only 
six  men  died  of  disease  during  the  ten  months  in 
France,  notwithstanding  the  fact  that  they  suffered 
as  many  hardships  and  inconveniences  as  any  other 
troops  in  the  conflict.  The  medical  detachment  was 
composed  also  of  23  men,  who  were  ever  on  the 
alert  to  give  first  aid  to  the  wounded;  because  of 
this  prompt  attention  on  the  battlefield  there  were 
only  96  out  of  the  entire  regiment  who  lost  their 
lives.  This,  in  addition  to  425  who  recovered 
from  wounds,  represents  the  entire  list  of  casualties 
of  the  organization. 

Major  White  was  awarded  the  Croix  de  Guerre. 
In  the  words  of  the  citation,  "he  visited  daily  the 
aid  stations  in  the  advanced  area,  and  himself 
dressed  many  of  the  fallen  men,  thus  giving  to 
his  subordinates  the  most  noble  example." 

All  told  there  were  33  officers  and  57  men  of 
this  regiment  who  were  awarded  the  Croix  de 
Guerre,  the  Distinguished  Service  Cross,  or  both. 
Among  the  officers  were  Col.  T.  A.  Roberts,  Lieut. 
Col.  Otis  B.  Duncan,  Maj.  James  R.  White,  Cap- 
tains Smith,  Patton,  Prout,  Gwynne,  Warner,  Allen, 
Hall,  Alexander,  Jackson,  Crawford,  and  Saun- 
ders;  First  Lieutenants  Tancil,  Browning,  Lacey, 

84 


GROUP  OF  OFFICERS  OF  STH  ILLINOIS  (STOrn  INF.) 

1.   Capt.    James     H.     Smith.       2.     Lieut.     Elaine    G.  Alston.       3.     Lieut. 

George    H.     Murphy.       4.     Capt.    John     H.     Patton.  5.     Lieut.    William 

Andrews.      6.   Lieut.    A.    Hugo   Williams.      7.    Lieut.  George    F.    Proctor. 

8.   Lieut.   Osceola  A.   Browning. 


TWO    COLORED    WOMEN    WITH    THE    A.    E.    F. 

Robinson,  Ballard,  Jackson,  Warfield,  Gordon, 
Kurd,  Shelton  and  Lee;  and  Second  Lieutenants 
Cheatham,  Norvell,  Tisdell,  Painter,  Price,  Reid, 
and  Jackson. 

The  colored  soldiers  were  greatly  loved  by  the 
French  people,  and  while  passing  through  the  town 
of  Laon,  which  had  been  in  the  hands  of  the  Ger- 
mans for  four  years,  the  French  civilians  knelt  by 
the  roadside  and  kissed  the  hands  of  the  boys  of 
the  370th  Infantry,  so  grateful  were  they  for  their 
deliverance. 

From  the  mayors  of  every  village  and  town 
where  the  organization  had  any  contact  with  the 
French  people,  they  received  testimonials  setting 
forth  their  good  behavior  and  splendid  decorum; 
similar  letters  were  secured  with  regard  to  our 
soldiers  in  nearly  every  section  of  France,  and  very 
frequently  the  writer  was  personally  told  that  they 
were  better  behaved  than  the  white  soldiers;  espe- 
cially was  this  true  in  the  Leave  Area,  where  all 
army  restrictions  were  removed;  the  absolute  in- 
crease of  disease  among  all  of  the  colored  troops 
was  only  7  per  cent.,  according  to  statistics  from  the 
surgeon  general's  office,  while  among  the  white 
troops  it  was  88  per  cent.;  this  in  spite  of  the  fact 
that  a  much  larger  per  cent,  of  them  were  physically 
unfit  when  they  entered  the  army;  in  the  first  draft 
36  colored  soldiers  out  of  every  hundred  men  were 
admitted,  while  there  were  only  24  out  of  every 
hundred  white;  this  shows  that  there  was  more 
care  exercised  in  getting  in  white  men  who  were 
physically  sound  than  there  was  for  the  colored. 

85 


TWO    COLORED    WOMEN    WITH    THE    A.    E.    F. 

In  the  entire  92nd  Division  only  one  soldier  was 
convicted  of  criminal  assault;  in  fact  the  colored 
soldiers  in  all  the  organizations  made  such  a  splen- 
did impression  upon  the  French  people  that  a 
recent  issue  of  a  widely  published  Paris  paper 
asked  that  two  million  return  to  France,  in  order 
that  they  might  assist  them  in  building  up  their 
devastated  regions,  and  become  a  part  of  their 
future  civilization. 

The  following  farewell  address  speaks  for  itself 
with  regard  to  splendid  achievements  of  the  370th 
Infantry,  and  the  high  esteem  in  which  they  were 
held: 

"OFFICERS  AND  SOLDIERS  OF  THE  370TH  R.  I.  U.  S. : 

"You  are  leaving  us.  The  impossibility  at  this  time 
that  the  German  Army  can  recover  from  its  defeat — the 
necessity  which  is  imposed  upon  the  peoples  of  the  En- 
tente of  taking  up  again  the  normal  life — leads  the  United 
States  to  diminish  its  effectives  in  France.  You  are 
chosen  among  the  first  to  return  to  America.  In  the 
name  of  your  comrades  of  the  59th  Division,  I  say  to 
you,  Au  revoir — in  the  name  of  France,  thank  you. 

"The  hard  and  brilliant  battles  of  Chavigny,  Leury, 
and  the  Bois  de  Beaumont,  having  reduced  the  effective- 
ness of  the  Division,  the  American  Government  gen- 
erously put  your  regiment  at  the  disposition  of  the 
French  High  Command  to  re-enforce  us.  You  arrived 
from  the  trenches  of  the  Argonne. 

"We  at  first  in  September,  at  Mareuil-sur-Ourq,  ad- 
mired your  fine  appearance  under  arms,  the  precision 
of  your  review,  the  suppleness  of  your  evolutions  that 
presented  to  the  eye,  the  appearance  of  silk  unrolling  its 
wavy  folds. 

86 


TWO    COLORED    WOMEN    WITH    THE    A.    E.    F< 

"We  advanced  to  the  line.  Fate  placed  you  on  the 
banks  of  the  Ailette,  in  front  of  the  Bois  de  Mortier. 
October  12th  you  occupied  the  enemy  trenches  Acier  and 
Brouze.  On  the  13th,  we  reached  the  railroad  of  Laon- 
La-Fere — the  Forest  of  St.  Gobain,  principal  center  of 
resistance  of  the  Hindenburg  Line,  was  ours. 

"November  5th,  the  Sierre  was  at  last  crossed,  the 
pursuit  became  active.  Prout's  Battalion  distinguished 
itself  at  Sal  St.  Pierre,  where  it  captured  a  German  bat- 
tery. Patton's  Battalion  crossed,  the  first,  the  Hirson 
Railroad  at  the  Heights  of  Aubenton,  where  the  Germans 
tried  to  resist.  Duncan's  Battalion  took  Lorgny,  and 
carried  away  with  their  ardor,  could  not  be  stopped  short 
of  Gue  d'Hossus,  on  November  llth,  after  the  Armistice. 

"We  have  hardly  had  time  to  appreciate  you,  and 
already  you  depart. 

"As  Lieutenant  Colonel  Duncan  said,  November  28th, 
in  offering  to  me  your  regimental  colors  as  proof  of  your 
love  for  France,  as  an  expression  of  your  loyalty  to  the 
59th  Division  of  our  Army,  you  have  given  us  your  best, 
and  you  have  given  out  of  the  fulness  of  your  hearts. 

"The  blood  of  your  comrades  who  fell  on  the  soil  of 
France  mixed  with  the  blood  of  our  soldiers,  renders 
indissoluble  the  bonds  of  affection  that  unite  us.  We 
have  besides,  the  pride  of  having  worked  together  at  a 
magnificent  task,  the  pride  of  bearing  on  our  foreheads 
the  ray  of  common  grandeur. 

"A  last  time — Au  revoir. 

"All  of  us  of  the  59th  Division  will  always  remember 
the  time  when  the  370th  R.  I.  U.  S.,  under  the  orders 
of  the  distinguished  Colonel  Roberts,  formed  a  part  of 
our  beautiful  Division." 

GENERAL  VINCENDON, 
Commanding  the  59th  Division. 

( Signed )     VINCENDON. 
87 


TWO    COLORED    WOMEN    WITH    THE    A.    E.    F. 

THE  371sT  AND  372ND  REGIMENTS  OF  INFANTRY 

The  371st  and  372nd  Regiments  of  Infantry 
were  composed  of  drafted  troops  and  National 
Guard  Organizations.  Those  of  the  former  came 
in  a  large  measure  from  South  Carolina,  and  were 
trained  at  Camp  Jackson  in  that  State;  while  the 
latter  organization  was  composed  of  the  first  sepa- 
rate battalion  of  Washington,  D.  C.,  Company  L, 
of  the  Massachusetts  N.  G.,  the  first  separate  com- 
pany of  the  Connecticut  State  Guard,  the  9th  sepa- 
rate battalion  of  Ohio,  and  other  National  Guard 
troops  from  Tennessee  and  Maryland. 

The  371st  had  a  full  quota  of  white  commis- 
sioned officers,  and  colored  non-commissioned 
officers,  while  the  372nd  had  a  mixture  of  white 
and  colored  commissioned  officers,  with  colored 
non-commissioned  officers.  After  some  heroic  ser- 
vice on  the  battlefields  of  France,  the  colored  com- 
missioned officers  became  victims  of  the  efficiency 
board,  and  at  one  fell  swoop,  were  nearly  all 
removed. 

These  two  regiments  saw  service  together  in 
France,  and  became  noted  for  their  indomitable 
courage,  and  splendid  fighting  record. 

On  April  6,  1918,  the  371st  Infantry  left  our 
ports,  and  by  April  26  was  in  the  training  area 
at  Rembercourt-aux-Port,  as  an  independent  unit 
of  the  13th  French  Army  Corps.  Afterwards  they 
became  a  supporting  regiment  to  the  68th  French 
Division,  where  they  remained  until  July  22,  1918. 
Between  this  date  and  September  14,  1918,  they 


TWO    COLORED    WOMEN    WITH    THE    A.    E.    F. 

occupied  the  Verrieres  sub-sector.  Here  the  regi- 
ment did  exceptional  work,  their  front  extending 
over  a  distance  of  more  than  five  kilometers,  always 
holding  their  own  ground  and  at  one  time  half  of 
the  front  of  the  333rd  French  Infantry  on  the  left. 
On  September  14  the  regiment  was  withdrawn 
from  this  sector  and  taken  to  the  area  of  Holitz- 
1'Eveque,  Champagne,  and  were  in  reserve  of  the 
9th  Army  Corps  of  the  4th  French  Army,  at  the 
beginning  of  the  great  Champagne  Offensive. 
During  this  great  offensive  the  regiment  suffered 
tremendous  losses  under  the  blistering  fire  and 
onslaught  of  the  enemy,  always  carrying  the  attack 
forward  in  advance  of  the  adjacent  troops.  Their 
Division  Commander  in  forwarding  a  recommenda- 
tion for  an  army  citation  for  the  regiment,  re- 
marked that  they  marched  forward  under  heavy 
artillery  fire,  without  faltering,  and  without  count- 
ing their  dead.  Following  is  text  of  citation: 

157TH  DIVISION  INFANTRY. 
October  8th,  1918. 

From:     Colonel  Quillet,  commanding  the  I.  D. 
To:         Colonel  of  the  371st  U.  S. 

The  Colonel  commanding  the  I.  D.  has  proposed  your 
regiment  for  a  citation  to  the  Army  Corps  with  the  fol- 
lowing motive. 

"Has  shown  during  its  first  engagement  the  very  best 
qualities  of  bravery  and  audacity,  which  are  the  char- 
acteristics of  shock  troops. 

"Under  the  command  of  Colonel  Miles,  it  launched 
itself  with  a  superb  spirit  and  admirable  disregard  of 

89 


TWO    COLORED    WOMEN    WITH    THE    A.    E.    F, 

danger  at  the  assault  of  a  position  stubbornly  defended 
by  the  enemy.  It  took  by  terrific  fighting  under  ex- 
ceptionally violent  machine-gun  fire  of  the  enemy  artil- 
lery, and  its  cruel  losses,  numerous  prisoners,  and  secured 
cannon,  machine  guns  and  important  material." 

(Signed)    T.  C.  QUILLET, 
Commanding  the  I.  D. 

The  losses  of  the  regiment  during  its  period  of 
service  were  8  officers  killed  and  died  of  wounds, 
42  wounded,  and  1,055  enlisted  men  killed  and 
wounded,  with  a  total  of  28  missing. 

The  372nd  Infantry,  was  organized  at  Camp 
Stuart,  and  landed  at  St.  Nazaire,  April  14,  1918. 
They  spent  five  weeks  in  training  at  Conde-en- 
Barrois,  Meuse,  as  part  of  the  13th  French  Army 
Corps;  afterwards  became  attached  to  the  63rd 
French  Division,  the  35th  French  Division,  and 
finally  on  July  2,  1918,  became  a  part  of  the  157th 
French  Division,  to  which  the  371st  Infantry  also 
became  attached. 

For  more  than  six  months  the  regiment  was  on 
the  front,  taking  part  in  the  great  Champagne 
Offensive,  and  in  the  battles  which  centered  around 
Vanquois  in  the  Argonne,  and  around  Verdun, 
including  Hill  304,  and  Dead  Man's  Hill.  They 
were  in  the  Vosges  Mountains,  along  with  the 
371st,  training  for  the  Metz  Offensive  when  the 
Armistice  was  signed. 

On  October  8,  1918,  this  regiment  also  received 
a  citation  from  Colonel  Quillet.  Following  is  its 
text: 

90 


TWO    COLORED    WOMEN    WITH    THE    A.    E.    F. 

157TH  DIVISION  INFANTRY 
No.  3500.  October  8,  1918. 

From:     Colonel  Quillet,  commanding  157th  I.  D. 
To:         Colonel  Tupes,  commanding  372nd  Infantry. 

The  Colonel  commanding  the  I.  D.,  has  recommended 
your  regiment  for  citation  in  the  orders  of  the  French 
Army,  worded  as  follows: 

"Gave  proof,  through  the  first  engagement,  of  the  finest 
qualities  of  bravery  and  daring  which  are  the  virtues  of 
assaulting  troops." 

"Under  the  orders  of  Colonel  Tupes  dashed  with 
superb  gallantry  and  admirable  scorn  of  danger  to  the 
assault  of  a  position  continuously  defended  by  the  enemy, 
taking  it  by  storm  under  an  exceptionally  violent  machine- 
gun  fire;  continued  the  progression  in  spite  of  enemy 
artillery  fire,  and  very  severe  losses.  They  made  numer- 
ous prisoners,  captured  cannon,  machine  guns,  and  im- 
portant war  materials." 

(Signed)     QUILLET. 

Upon  relinquishing  his  command  of  these  two 
regiments  after  the  signing  of  the  Armistice, 
Colonel  Quillet  gave  out  the  following  words  of 
farewell : 

157TH  DIVISION,  STAFF  OF  THE  INFANTRY. 

December  15,  1918. 
Order  of  the  Divisional  Infantry. 

The  371st  and  372nd  Infantries  are  leaving  France, 
after  having  carried  on  a  hard  campaign  of  six  months 
with  I.  D.,  157. 

After  having  energetically  held  a  series  of  difficult 
sectors,  they  took  a  glorious  part  in  the  great  decisive 
battle  which  brought  the  final  victory. 

91 


TWO    COLORED    WOMEN    WITH    THE    A.    E.    F. 

In  sectors  they  have  shown  an  endurance,  a  vigilance, 
a  spirit  of  devotion  and  remarkable  discipline. 

In  battle  they  have  taken  by  storm,  with  a  magnificent 
animation,  very  strong  positions  doggedly  defended  by 
the  enemy. 

In  contemplating  the  departure  of  these  two  fine 
regiments  which  I  commanded  with  pride,  I  desire  to 
tell  them  all  how  much  I  think  of  them  for  the  generous 
and  precious  concurrence  which  they  brought  to  us  at 
the  decisive  period  of  the  war. 

I  shall  keep  them  always  in  my  soldier  heart,  their 
loyal  memories,  and  particularly  those  of  their  distin- 
guished commanders  who  have  become  my  friends. 

COLONEL  QUILLET, 
Commanding  the  I.  D.,  157. 

About  the  same  time  the  above  was  issued, 
General  Goybet,  Commanding  Officer  of  the  157th 
French  Division,  sent  out  the  following  General 
Orders: 

GENERAL  ORDERS 

On  the  12th  of  December,  1918,  the  371st  and  372nd 
R.  I.  U.  S.  have  been  placed  at  the  disposal  of  the 
American  High  Command. 

With  a  deep  feeling  of  emotion,  on  behalf  of  the  157th 
Division,  and  in  my  own  personal  name,  I  come  to  bid 
farewell  to  our  brave  comrades. 

For  seven  months  we  have  lived  brothers  in  arms, 
partaking  in  the  same  activities,  sharing  the  same  hard- 
ships and  the  same  dangers.  Side  by  side  we  took  part 
in  the  great  Champagne  Offensive  which  was  to  be 
crowned  by  a  tremendous  victory. 

Never  will  the  157th  Division  forget  the  indomitable 
dash,  the  heroical  rush  of  the  American  regiments  up 
the  Observatory  Ridge  and  into  the  Plain  of  Monthois. 

92 


TWO    COLORED    WOMEN    WITH    THE    A.    E.    F. 

The  most  powerful  defenses,  the  most  strongly  organized 
machine-gun  nests,  the  heaviest  artillery  barrages — noth- 
ing could  stop  them.  These  crack  regiments  overcame 
every  obstacle  with  a  most  complete  contempt  for  danger; 
through  their  steady  devotion  the  Red  Hand  Division, 
for  nine  whole  days  of  severe  struggle,  was  constantly 
leading  the  way  of  the  advance  of  the  Fourth  Army. 

Officers,  non-commissioned  officers  and  men,  I  respect- 
fully salute  our  glorious1  comrades  who  have  fallen,  and 
I  bow  to  your  colors,  side  by  side  with  the  flag  of  the 
333rd  Regiment  of  Infantry  that  have  shown  us  the  way 
to  victory. 

Dear  Friends  from  America,  when  you  will  be  back 
again  on  the  other  side  of  the  ocean,  don't  forget  the 
Red  Hand  Division;  our  brotherhood  has  been  cemented 
in  the  blood  of  the  brave,  and  such  bonds  will  never  be 
destroyed. 

Remember  your  General,  who  is  so  glad  of  having 
commanded  you,  and  be  sure  of  his  grateful  affection 
to  you  forever. 

GENERAL  GOYBET, 
Commanding  the  157th  Division. 

On  January  24,  1919,  for  taking  strategic  town 
in  Champagne  Offensive  the  372nd  Infantry  was 
cited  with  the  Croix  de  Guerre  and  palm,  the 
highest  honor  of  the  kind  in  the  gift  of  the  French 
Army.  It  was  the  first  entire  organization  of  the 
American  Expeditionary  Forces  to  be  thus  cited.3 
It  was  received  at  the  hands  of  Vice-Admiral 
Moreau,  French  Commander  of  the  Port  of  Brest, 
and  the  ceremony  took  place  at  Cours  Dajot,  over- 
looking the  Port  of  Commerce  of  that  city. 

In  a  word  of  conclusion  with  regard  to  the 
entire  record  of  the  combatant  troops,  many  of 

93 


TWO    COLORED    WOMEN    WITH    THE    A.    E.    F. 

whom  went  overseas  with  hesitations  and  misgiv- 
ings because  of  the  great  battle  they  had  already 
been  compelled  to  fight  against  the  ill-will  of  their 
own  countrymen,  it  seems  that  their  wonderful 
achievements  in  the  face  of  a  propaganda  that 
continued  even  across  the  seas,  make  them  fully 
worthy  of  the  beautiful  tribute  paid  them  in  the 
following  poem  by  Roscoe  C.  Jamison:* 

"These  truly  are  the  Brave, 

These  men  who  cast  aside 

Old  memories,  to  walk  the  blood-stained  pave 

Of  sacrifice,  joining  the  solemn  tide 

That  moves  away,  to  suffer  and  to  die 

For  freedom, — when  their  own  is  yet  denied! 

0  Pride!     0  Prejudice!     When  they  pass  by, 

Hail  them,  the  Brave,  for  you  now  crucified! 

These  truly  are  the  Free, 
These  souls  that  grandly  rise 
Above  base  dreams  of  vengeance  for  their  wrongs, 
Who  march  to  war  with  visions  in  their  eyes 
Of  peace  through  Brotherhood,  lifting  glad  songs 
Aforetime,  while  they  front  the  firing  line. 
Stand  and  behold!     They  take  the  field  to-day, 
Shedding  their  blood  like  Him  now  held  divine, 
That  those  who  mock  might  find  a  better  way!" 


*  By  permission  of  The  Crisis. 
94 


MISCELLANEOUS  VIEWS  OF  OFFICERS  AND  MEN 

1.  Officers  engaged  in  automatic  rifle  practice.  2.  Sergeant  Charles 
T.  Monroe,  a  winner  of  the  Croix  de  Guerre  and  Distinguished 
Service  Cross.  3.  Group  of  Officers  of  372nd  Infantry  and  French 
Associates.  4.  At  the  mouth  of  a  dugout.  5.  Sergeants  Ray  Wil- 
liams and  Wadley  Ellis  receiving  wireless  messages  from  Eiffel 
Tower.  6.  French  Officer  giving  instructions  in  machine-gun  tactics. 
7.  Two  comrades  of  the  famous  "Red  Hand  Division." 


If  the  muse  were  mine  to  tempt  it 
And  my  feeble  voice  were  strong, 
If  my  tongue  were  trained  to  measure 
I  would  sing  a  stirring  song. 
I  would  sing  a  song  heroic 
Of  those  noble  sons  of  Ham 
Of  the  gallant  colored  soldiers 
Who  fought  for  Uncle  Sam. 

PAUL  LAURENCE  DUNBAR. 


Non-Combatant    Troops 

THERE  was  little  difference  in  the  spirit  of  those 
who  went  to  France  as  welfare  workers  and 
those  who  went  as  soldiers.  Both  felt  the  urge  of 
the  hour — both  desired  to  be  stationed  where  they 
could  give  most — serve  most.  Hence  it  was  not 
strange  that  we  reached  the  Y  headquarters  in 
Paris  hoping  to  be  forwarded  to  some  one  of  the 
fighting  units,  and  that  during  the  ten  days  of 
preparation  for  the  camp,  we  were  looking  wish- 
fully toward  the  front.  Indeed,  one  of  us  had 
come  from  Illinois,  and  had  already  been  adopted 
as  the  daughter  of  the  370th  Regiment.  The  other 
had  come  from  the  Metropolis,  and  somehow  felt 
the  whole  responsibility  for  the  welfare  of  the 
"Fifteenth  New  York"  and  the  "Buffaloes"  resting 
upon  her  weak  shoulders.  It  is  easy  then  to  im- 
agine our  disappointment  when  we  were  assigned 
to  the  S.  0.  S.,  or  Service  of  Supplies  Sector.  It 
was  just  at  this  point  we  found  it  necessary  as 
members  of  the  American  Expeditionary  Forces 
to  learn  one  of  the  most  important  lessons  of  the 
army — that  of  obedience. 

But  it  was  a  most  kind  Providence  that  sent  us 
away  from  the  scenes  of  devastation  and  death  for 
our  first  service,  and  placed  us  where  we  could 
come  into  a  comprehensive  knowledge  and  appre- 
ciation of  our  non-combatant  forces.  Seven  months 
of  continuous  service  and  daily  contact  in  the 
camp  with  these  men  warrant  our  writing  with 

96 


ON  THE  WAY  TO  THE  DOCKS  AT  ST.  NAZAIRE 
SERGEANTS  DUNN,  TAPSCOTT  AND  JONES  AT  THE  PORT 


TWO    COLORED    WOMEN    WITH    THE    A.    E.    F. 

assurance  certain  definite  impressions  left  upon 
our  minds  by  them.  We  take  it  that  the  20,000 
soldiers  whom  we  served,  those  visited  at  Brest  and 
other  S.  0.  S.  points  and  those  who  rested  with  us 
in  the  Leave  Area  from  Bordeaux,  Marseilles,  and 
other  camps  were  typical  of  the  one  hundred  thou- 
sand or  so  men  who  formed  the  non-combatant 
group. 

These  men  were  known  chiefly  as  stevedores  and 
labor  battalions.  Somehow  a  widely  circulated 
report  gained  credence  that  they  had  been 
gathered  indiscriminately,  and  had  been  landed  on 
foreign  soil,  a  mere  group  of  servants  for  the 
white  soldiers.  We  do  not  know  who  first  sought 
to  thus  humiliate  these  soldiers  by  such  unjust 
and  undeserved  rating.  One  might  easily  believe, 
of  course,  because  of  the  constantly  unfair  attitude 
of  some  of  their  officers  toward  them,  that  there  was 
some  such  assumption  to  that  effect.  But  the  world 
has  learned  now,  that  in  spite  of  all  handicaps,  there 
could  be  found  nowhere  in  the  army  stouter  and 
braver  hearts,  or  more  loyal  and  self-sacrificing 
spirits.  Subjected  to  a  stern  discipline;  with  dis- 
criminations, cruel  in  their  intent  and  execution; 
long  hours  of  toil;  scant  recognition  for  service 
or  hope  of  promotion,  they  still  kept  their  faith. 
Throughout  the  war  they  wrought  as  weavers  who 
are  given  to  see  only  the  wrong  side  of  the  glorious 
pattern  they  are  weaving.  Indeed,  through  these 
men  we  came  into  an  abiding  belief  that  the  colored 
man  was  in  the  war  to  justify  his  plea  for  democ- 

97 


TWO    COLORED    WOMEN    WITH    THE    A.    E.    F. 

racy.  The  first  day  we  entered  that  busy  military 
port  of  St.  Nazaire,  we  saw  a  colored  lad  standing 
under  the  ancient  clock  in  the  center  of  the  square. 
He  had  M.  P.  (military  police)  on  his  arm  band 
in  large  red  letters,  and  in  his  hand  a  stick  with 
which  he  quietly  directed  the  tremendous  traffic 
of  that  town.  Auto-trucks,  auto-cars  of  officers 
from  the  highest  to  the  lowest  rank,  auto-busses  for 
welfare  workers,  sidecars,  bicycles,  used  so  con- 
stantly by  French  women  as  well  as  men,  and  the 
typical  French  voiture  made  a  constant  noisy 
stream.  And  this  colored  lad,  who  had  come  from 
a  rural  district  of  the  far  South,  stood  there  calmly 
pointing  his  stick,  now  left,  now  right,  or  holding 
it  up  in  demand  for  a  pause.  Surely  he  was  there 
by  Divine  Thought. 

•^/^he  very  first  group  of  colored  soldiers  to  leave 
for  France  in  the  autumn  of  1917  were  stevedores 
and  labor  battalions.  Another  group  reached 
St.  Nazaire,  by  way  of  Brest,  Christmas  eve  of  the 
same  year.  Time  and  time  again  in  camp  they  told 
us  the  story  of  that  first  winter  of  hardship.  Christ- 
mas day  found  them  cold  and  cheerless,  with  hard 
tacks  and  beans  for  their  rations.  All  that  winter 
they  worked,  poorly  equipped  for  their  severe  task. 
In  the  dark  hours  of  the  night  and  the  morning, 
they  plunged  through  the  deep  mud  of  the  camp 
and  city,  without  boots.  On  the  dock  they  handled 
the  cold  steel  and  iron  without  gloves.  But  they 
were  soldiers,  and  so  they  worked  without  com- 
plaint. 

98 


TWO    COLORED    WOMEN    WITH    THE    A.    E.    F. 

When  the  first  American  Forces  reached  the 
Continent,  the  French  were  calling  loudly  for  help. 
All  seemed  chaos  for  a  little,  as  thousands  of  troops 
began  to  reconstruct  the  ports  of  France.  These 
quiet  ports,  many  of  them  centuries  gray,  became 
centers  of  throbbing  activity.  Hundreds  of  ware- 
houses, most  modern  in  their  construction,  rose  as 
if  by  magic.  From  the  south  where  Marseilles 
looks  out  on  the  blue  Mediterranean,  to  Brest  at 
the  entrance  to  the  English  Channel,  our  own  steve- 
dores, labor  battalions  and  engineers,  have  rebuilt 
much  of  the  water  front  of  France,  thus  making  a 
real  epoch  in  the  history  of  French  navigation. 
During  the  last  year  of  the  war,  these  thousands  of 
men  were  at  work  in  the  S.  0.  S.,  connecting  it 
with  the  great  battle  front.  System  and  efficiency, 
with  the  greatest  possible  haste,  were  required  in 
speeding  the  supplies  to  combatant  troops.  All  of 
this  these  soldiers  comprehended  and  ever  they  re- 
sponded with  a  decisive  and  soldier-like  spirit. 
The  incessant  tramp  of  many  feet  through  the  city 
street,  the  constant  rush  and  rumble  of  auto- 
trucks kept  the  camps  of  these  ports  closely  linked 
with  the  docks. 

All  who  were  at  work  in  France  well  remember 
that  "Race  to  Berlin"  contest,  upon  which  the  last 
great  forward  move  of  our  troops  so  largely  de- 
pended. The  world  looked  not  only  toward  Metz 
where  our  great  combat  army  was  centering,  but 
just  as  often,  anxious  eyes  were  upon  the  rear  where 
our  men  were  toiling  like  mad  that  peace  should 

99 


TWO    COLORED    WOMEN    WITH    THE    A.    E.    F. 

not  be  delayed  through  any  failure  of  theirs.  With 
feverish  haste  and  anxiety  they  battled  with  great 
bulks  of  ammunition  and  supplies.  For  weeks  at 
Marseilles,  Bordeaux,  St.  Nazaire,  Brest  and  other 
ports  they  worked  with  almost  superhuman 
strength.  Those  serving  these  men  during  this  con- 
test labored  with  the  same  feverish  spirit  that 
possessed  the  men  themselves.  How  they  tried  to 
cheer,  encourage,  and  entertain  our  determined 
heroes  as  they  contested  for  the  honors!  If  by 
chance  you  see  somewhere  a  soldier  wearing  the 
emblem  of  the  S.  0.  S.,  with  an  arrow  running 
through  it  and  pointing  skyward,  you  will  know  that 
he  belongs  to  those  service  battalions  at  Brest  who 
by  their  inexhaustible  reserves  of  energy  and  en- 
durance, won  in  the  "Race  to  Berlin." 

Although  these  men  were  not  called  upon  to  face 
the  shot  and  shell  at  the  front,  they  paid  their  toll 
in  death  from  accident,  cold  and  exposure.  No 
more  at  the  rear  than  at  the  front  did  they  pause 
to  consider  personal  danger.  They  were  truly 
heroes,  carrying  not  bayonet  and  gun,  but  connect- 
ing the  wonderful  resources  of  their  own  country, 
three  thousand  miles  away,  with  the  greatest  battle- 
fields the  world  has  ever  known. 

There  went  to  rest  in  the  land  of  light  and  peace 
a  short  time  ago,  one  of  the  world's  poets  whose 
divinest  gift  was  her  great  human  understanding 
and  sympathy.  Long  and  well  did  Ella  Wheeler 
Wilcox  write  to  lift  the  souls  of  men  from  the 
sordid  things  of  earth  to  the  purer  realms  of  sym- 
pathetic knowledge  and  co-operation.  She  was 

100 


TWO    COLORED    WOMEN    WITH    THE    A.    E.    F. 

given  entre  to  the  heart  of  the  war,  and  saw  the 
grim  conflict  in  all  its  various  settings.  Riding 
along  the  coast  one  day,  looking  out  upon  the  long 
lines  of  warehouses,  hearing  the  hum  of  the  thou- 
sands of  men  at  work,  she  said:  "I  have  gained 
with  the  years  a  growing  appreciation  and  love  for 
the  colored  people,  and  I  have  seen  nothing  in 
France  finer  than  the  work  of  the  stevedores.  I 
have  written  and  dedicated  a  poem  to  them."  That 
afternoon,  after  she  had  spoken  for  a  few  minutes 
to  the  thousands  of  swarthy  soldiers,  assembled  to 
pay  her  homage,  her  companion  read  the  poem 
as  follows: 

"We  are  the  army  stevedores,  lusty  and  virile  and  strong. 
We  are  given  the  hardest  work  of  the  war  and  the  hours 

are  long. 

We  handle  the  heavy  boxes  and  shovel  the  dirty  coal ; 
While  soldiers  and  sailors  work  in  the  light,  we  burrow 

below  in  the  hole. 
But  somebody  has  to  do  this  work,  or  the  soldiers  could 

not  fight 
And  whatever  work  is  given  a  man,  is  good  if  he  does 

it  right. 

We  are  the  army  stevedores,  and  we  are  volunteers. 

We  did  not  wait  for  the  draft  to  come,  to  put  aside  our 

fears. 
We  flung  them  away  on  the  wings  of  fate,  at  the  very 

first  call  of  our  land, 
And  each  of  us  offered  a  willing  heart,  and  the  strength 

of  a  brawny  hand. 

We  are  the  army  stevedores'  and  work  as  we  must  and  may. 
The  cross  of  honor  will  never  be  ours  to  proudly  wear 

away. 

101 


TWO    COLORED    WOMEN    WITH    THE    A.    E.    F. 

But  the  men  at  the  Front  could  not  be  there, 

And  the  battles  could  not  be  won 

If  the  stevedores  stopped  in  their  dull  routine, 

And  left  their  work  undone. 

Somebody  has  to  do  this  work,  be  glad  that  it  isn't  you, 

We  are  the  army  stevedores — give  us  our  due!" 

But  this  wonderfully  revealing  poem  goes  hardly 
far  enough  to  give  full  appreciation  of  the  whole 
life  of  the  colored  stevedore  in  France.  So  often  in 
addition  to  this  "hardest  work  of  the  war,"  was 
added  treatment  accorded  no  other  soldier.  While 
white  American  soldiers  were  permitted  to  go 
freely  about  the  towns,  the  great  mass  of  colored 
American  soldiers  saw  them  for  the  most  part,  as 
they  marched  in  line  to  and  from  the  docks.  Passes 
for  them  were  oftener  than  otherwise  as  hard  to 
secure  as  American  gold.  Always  they  were  aware 
of  some  case  of  cruel  injustice  for  which  there 
seemed  absolutely  no  redress.  We  found  in  our 
camp  a  young  college  student,  who,  believing  that 
war  spelled  opportunity,  was  among  the  first  to 
enlist.  His  education  placed  him  at  once  in  the 
office  of  his  company,  and  he  went  to  France  a 
sergeant.  He  did  not  find  that  war  meant  for  him 
what  he  had  dreamed  it  would,  but  he  kept  loyal; 
his  work  commanded  respect,  and,  for  a  time,  all 
went  well.  But  a  company  commander  came  who 
resented  the  pride  of  the  colored  boy,  and  then 
began  a  series  of  humiliations  that  took  away  rank, 
sent  him  to  the  guard-house  and  dock.  Retribution 
is  rather  swift  at  times,  and  so  this  officer's  down- 
fall came  soon.  He  never  knew,  however,  that 

102 


MEN    OF   THE    TWENTY-FIRST    DEPOT    COMPANY 


TWO    COLORED    WOMEN    WITH    THE    A.    E.    F. 

the  fond  mother  back  home  was  the  only  thing  that 
stood  between  him  and  death.  The  young  man  has 
since  told  us  how  happy  he  was  to  return  home  with 
his  honor  maintained,  rank  restored.  But  in  camp 
his  face  hurt  us  as  often  as  we  looked  upon  it,  so  full 
it  was  of  the  endurance  of  an  outraged  manhood. 

Even  a  short  outing  might  be  robbed  of  its  pleas- 
ure. For  how  well  we  remember  a  company  that 
had  been  granted  a  week-end  leave  as  a  reward  for 
exceptional  work.  They  were  going  to  a  neighbor- 
ing summer  resort — a  miniature  Coney  Island.  It 
had  been  arranged  for  them  to  tent  on  the  beach. 
Just  like  children,  they  made  us  listen  to  all  their 
enthusiastic  plans  and  dreams  of  this  outing.  They 
went,  but  came  back  dumb  in  the  despair  of  out- 
raged truth  and  justice.  A  runner  had  preceded 
them,  and  the  French  restaurants  and  places  of 
amusement  had  been  warned  not  to  receive  them, 
since  they  were  but  servants  of  the  white  soldiers. 
Later  the  French  knew  better,  but  at  that  time  it 
required  more  time  and  spirit  than  this  company 
had,  to  convince  the  French  people  of  the  injustice 
of  it  all. 

Always  there  was  the  knowledge  that  for  them, 
loyalty,  devotion,  and  energy,  led  to  no  higher  rank, 
no  possibility  of  promotion.  True,  orders  were 
often  issued  that  for  the  moment,  seemed  to  include 
the  colored  soldier  in  their  opportunity  for  ad- 
vancement, but  just  as  soon  as  he  attempted  to 
make  himself  a  part  of  these  orders,  some  subter- 
fuge would  be  used  to  deny  him  the  privilege  of 
the  army  of  which  he  was  a  part.  Well  for  the 

103 


TWO    COLORED    WOMEN    WITH    THE    A.    E.    F. 

colored  soldier  in  France,  well  for  all,  that  he  pos- 
sessed the  far-visioned  faith  and  the  endurance  of 
his  fathers! 

Another  misleading  idea  relative  to  the  non- 
combatant  organizations  was  to  the  effect  that  they 
were  totally  illiterate.  While  the  percentage  of 
illiteracy  was  high,  on  the  other  hand  hundreds  of 
men  were  of  fair  intelligence,  while  other  hundreds 
had  been  given  fine  educational  advantages.  Not 
only  could  there  be  found  large  numbers  of  stu- 
dents and  graduates  of  our  colored  schools,  but 
there  were  many  from  the  largest  and  best  known 
universities  and  colleges  of  the  United  States.  It 
was  not  unusual  to  have  a  man  in  fatigue  uniform, 
as  his  working  clothes  were  called,  volunteer  for 
some  needed  educational  work,  modestly  announc- 
ing himself  a  graduate  of  Dartmouth,  Iowa,  Yale, 
or  some  other  large  university  or  college.  Two  of 
the  best-trained  physical  directors  of  our  race  were 
discovered  over  there  doing  their  "bit" — one  as  a 
stevedore  on  the  dock,  the  other  busily  cutting  wood 
with  an  isolated  labor  battalion.  For  every  variety 
of  profession  or  trade  there  was  a  representative. 
One  had  but  to  require  the  service  of  a  stenogra- 
pher, dentist,  doctor,  lawyer,  electrician,  plumber, 
draughtsman,  pianist,  illustrator,  or  what  not,  to 
find  him  at  hand.  Once  in  the  palmy  days  of  Camp 
One,  St.  Nazaire,  an  educational  exhibit  was  held 
in  the  Y  Hut  and  it  was  far  more  interesting, 
varied,  and  unique,  than  any  one  school  could  have 
possibly  produced. 

104 


TWO    COLORED    WOMEN    WITH    THE    A.    E.    F. 

Labor  battalions  were  to  be  found  not  only  at 
the  ports  of  France,  but  more  than  any  other  class 
of  soldiers,  they  were  spread  over  all  France. 
Whether  near  the  Belgian  or  Swiss  border,  or  in 
"No  Man's  Land,"  one  would  be  sure  to  find  these 
indispensable  troops.  Oftener  than  otherwise  these 
battalions  would  be  split,  and  a  company  or  two 
would  be  at  Verdun  or  some  other  important  center, 
while  another  company  would  be  found  in  some 
woods  cutting  trees.  The  608th  Labor  Battalion 
was  the  only  organization  regularly  stationed  at 
St.  Nazaire,  that  had  its  own  colored  Sergeant- 
Major.  So  clean  cut,  intelligent  and  forceful  was 
Sergeant  Major  Thomas,  that  he  might  have  been 
a  Major  quite  as  well.  His  men  were  much  like 
their  leader,  and  we  found  it  not  only  a  pleasure 
but  comfort  to  count  them  among  "our  boys." 

At  Romagne  we  worked  side  by  side  with  the 
332nd  and  349th  Labor  Battalions.  There  with  the 
Pioneer  Infantries,  they  were  grimly  fighting 
through  to  the  end.  To  the  Leave  Area  came  these 
men  of  the  labor  units  in  large  numbers,  and  we 
have  many  pictures  of  them  and  with  them.  We 
have,  better  still,  recollections  of  their  faces, 
earnest  and  often  sad — their  eyes  aglow  as  they 
related  the  story  of  their  adventure  in  France. 
Always  they  had  suffered  but  always  they  knew 

"That  Freedom's  battle  once  begun 
Bequeathed  from  bleeding  sire  to  son 
Though  baffled  oft — is  ever  won." 

105 


TWO    COLORED    WOMEN    WITH    THE    A.    E.    F. 

Hundreds  of  men  among  these  non-combatant 
troops  were  so  thoroughly  fine  that  to  mention  a 
few  of  them  in  a  special  way  seems  hardly  worth 
while,  except  as  they  represent  types.  We  think 
of  Charles  Wright  from  Ann  Arbor,  Michigan,  who 
not  only  performed  his  office  work  with  thorough- 
ness, but  who,  through  all  the  long  months,  first  at 
St.  Nazaire,  and  later  at  Camp  Montoir,  gave  him- 
self with  deep  earnestness  as  a  volunteer  teacher 
for  his  less  fortunate  mates.  Many  others  gave 
help  in  much  the  same  manner  for  the  educational, 
religious,  and  athletic  activities,  or  for  library  or 
canteen  service.  There  were  Charles  Wilkinson  of 
the  Medical  Corps,  Sergeants  Farrell,  Dunn,  Jones, 
Ward,  Armstrong  and  Tapscott,  Corporal  Henry 
Smith,  Electrician  Powell,  all  so  faithful  as  to  seem 
a  part  of  the  regular  staff  of  Y  workers. 

There  was  one  special  group  within  this  group 
for  whom  we  had  great  sympathy  and  deep  respect. 
They  were  the  regular  army  men,  who  had  seen 
real  fighting,  who  were  still  in  their  prime,  and 
longing  for  the  opportunity  to  go  "over  the  top." 
There  were  men  who  had  seen  service  in  Russia, 
the  Philippines,  Hawaii,  heroes  of  the  Spanish 
American  War;  men  who  had  known  the  hideous- 
ness  of  Carrizal,  all  kept  in  the  S.  0.  S.  But  they 
were  soldiers  and  they  knew  how  to  hold  their 
peace  and  obey.  One  had  to  but  look  at  men 
like  Sergeants  Blue,  Banks,  Clark  and  Dogan,  to 
know  that  even  without  the  bars  on  shoulders,  they 
were  finer  soldiers  than  many  who  wore  them. 

106 


1.  "A  Canteen  Man."    2.  An  Old  Soldier — Sergeant  Banks,  10th  U.  S.  C. 

3.  Playing  Ball  at  Camp  No.  1,  St.  Nazaire.     4.  Our  Military  Policeman. 

5.  An   Electrician. 


TWO    COLORED    WOMEN    WITH    THE    A.    E.    F. 

These  non-combatant  troops  challenged  the  very 
best  in  those  welfare  workers  who  could  appreciate 
the  tremendous  undercurrent  of  their  lives  and 
their  rigid  determination  to  be  loyal  to  the  country 
they  served.  Always  during  our  days  and  nights 
with  them,  the  urge  and  desire  to  serve  was  so 
keen  as  to  make  us  forget  the  loss  and  strain  of 
physical  strength.  Our  greatest  effort  was  centered 
in  keeping  constantly  before  them  this  truth  so 
beautifully  expressed  by  James  Weldon  Johnson: 

"That  banner  which  is  now  the  type 

Of  victory  on  field  and  flood, 
Remember  its  first  crimson  stripe 

Was  dyed  by  Attack's1  willing  blood. 

And  never  yet  has  come  the  cry, — 
When  this  fair  flag  had  been  assailed 

For  men  to  do,  for  men  to  die, 

That  we  have  faltered  or  have  failed. 

We've  helped  to  bear  it  rent  and  torn, 

Through  many  a  hot-breathed  battle  breeze; 

Held  in  our  hands,  it  has  been  borne 
And  planted  far  across  the  seas. 

Then  should  we  speak  but  servile  words', 
Or  shall  we  hang  our  heads  in  shame? 

Stand  back  of  new-come  foreign  hordes, 
And  fear  our  heritage  to  claim? 

No!  stand  erect  and  without  fear, 

And  for  our  foes  let  this  suffice, 
We've  brought  a  rightful  sonship  here, 

And  we  have  more  than  paid  the  price." 

107 


TWO    COLORED    WOMEN    WITH    THE    A.    E.    F. 

THE  ENGINEERS 

No  group  of  men  had  a  deeper  baptism  of  pain 
and  loneliness  in  France  than  the  Corps  of 
Engineers.  Although  classed  as  non-combatant 
troops,  they  might,  in  an  emergency,  as  at  Chateau 
Thierry,  become  combatant.  There,  in  the  crisis  of 
a  struggle,  they  dealt  the  German  invaders  the 
decisive  blow  that  not  only  sent  them  reeling  to 
defeat,  but  caused  the  world  in  general  to  attach  a 
new  importance  and  appreciation  to  the  work  of 
the  engineer. 

The  colored  engineers,  however,  although  some- 
times trained  with  arms  in  the  United  States  were, 
for  the  most  part,  not  permitted  the  use  of  them 
in  France.  A  corporal  of  the  546th  Engineers 
writes,  "Although  some  of  us  worked  quite  close 
behind  the  lines,  within  range  of  shot  and  shell, 
we  did  not  see  arms  except  such  as  lay  discarded 
about  the  woods  and  in  the  fields." 

There  seems  to  have  been  little  difference  be- 
tween the  work  done  in  France  by  the  colored 
Engineers  and  Pioneer  Infantries.  Both  were 
largely  engaged  in  road  building  and  general  con- 
struction. However,  the  non-commissioned  officers 
of  the  Pioneers  were  largely,  if  not  entirely,  colored 
and  in  many  regiments,  they  retained  their  arms, 
while  the  engineers  were  rarely  accorded  rank 
beyond  that  of  corporal  and,  as  previously  stated, 
rarely  carried  arms.  But  the  colored  engineers 
were  a  part  of  that  far-visioned  phalanx  of  dark- 

108 


TWO    COLORED    WOMEN    WITH    THE    A.    E.    F. 

skinned  men  who  went  to  France  to  fulfil  a  trust 
and  who  remained  true  to  the  end. 

Their  work,  too,  was  lightened  by  their  ability  to 
sing  in  the  midst  of  thunderous  guns.  Many  of 
the  war  songs  were  made  into  parodies  of  the 
shovel  which  the  engineer  jokingly  made  his 
emblem.  The  following  is  a  parody  of  the  song, 
"Mother": 

"S    is  for  the  soup  they  always  give  us 
H    is  for  the  ham  we  never  get; 
O    is  for  the  onions  in  the  gravy, 
V   is  for  the  victory  we'll  see  yet. 
E    is  for  the  end  of  our  enlistment, 
L  is  for  the  land  we  love  so  dear, 

Put  them  altogether,  they  spell  SHOVEL 
The  Emblem  of  the  Engineer." 

Wherever  troops  were  fighting,  the  engineers 
could  be  found  hard  by  and  their  faithful  and 
efficient  service  won  for  them  praise.  For  instance, 
the  37th  who  served  as  a  part  of  a  French  Corps 
and  afterwards  with  the  First  American  Army 
Corps  was  cited  for  the  high  efficiency  of  its  work. 

The  546th  spent  many  months  in  various  parts 
of  the  forest  of  the  Argonne  and  were  also  com- 
mended for  their  meritorious  service;  the  same 
might  be  said  of  the  505th  and  many  others. 

109 


TWO    COLORED    WOMEN    WITH    THE    A.    E.    F. 

But  viewing  their  record  as  a  whole  we  might 
sum  it  up  in  the  following  lines  of  Paul  Laurence 
Dunbar: 

Thou  hast  the  right  to  noble  pride 
Whose  spotless  robes  were  purified 
By  blood's  severe  baptism. 
Upon  thy  brow  the  cross  was  laid, 
And  labor's  painful  sweat  beads  made 
A  consecrating  chrism. 


110 


An  Engineers'  Camp  in  France.     Representatives  of  the  Engineer  Corps. 


HOMING  BRAVES 

There's  music  in  the  measured  tread 
Of  those  returning  from  the  dead 
Like  scattered  flowers  from  a  plain 
So  lately  crimson,  with  the  slain. 

No  more  the  sound  of  shuffled  feet 
Shall  mark  the  poltroon  on  the  street, 
Nor  shifting,  sodden,  downcast  eye, 
Reveal  the  man  afraid  to  die. 

They  shall  have  paid  full,  utterly 
The  price  of  peace  across  the  sea, 
When,  with  uplifted  glance  they  come 
To  claim  a  kindly  welcome  home. 

Nor  shall  the  old-time  daedal  sting 
Of  prejudice,  their  manhood  wing, 
Nor  heights,  nor  depths,  nor  living  streams 
Stand  in  the  pathway  of  their  dreams! 

GEORGIA  DOUGLAS  JOHNSON. 


ill 


Pioneer  Infantries 


OTEVEDORES,  engineers,  and  labor  battalions 
kJ  had  been  rushed  to  France  to  blaze  the  trail  for 
die  American  forces.  Already  the  15th  New  York, 
the  8th  Illinois,  371st  and  372nd  Regiments  had 
worked  and  fought  their  way  to  the  thickest  of  the 
carnage.  The  92nd  Division  was  waiting  for  the 
final  word  that  would  carry  them  across.  And  yet 
the  twelve  million  colored  people  of  the  United 
States  had  not  fully  answered  the  call.  None,  how- 
ever, were  more  willing  to  serve  the  country  in 
its  hour  of  peril.  Therefore  there  was  a  ready 
response,  when  late  in  May  of  1918,  President 
Wilson  called  for  the  organization  of  colored 
infantries. 

The  early  history  of  these  pioneer  regiments 
was  very  similar.  They  were  formed  for  the  most 
part,  out  of  provisional  troops,  a  few  men  drawn 
from  the  regular  army,  and  specialists  from  the 
various  schools  of  Training  Detachments.  For 
instance,  the  805th  Pioneer  Infantry  Regiment  was 
formed  at  Camp  Funston,  of  provisional  brigades; 
twenty-five  men  of  the  25th  Infantry,  brought  over 
from  Hawaii;  thirty-eight  mechanics  from  Prairie 
View  Normal  School;  twenty  horseshoers  and  men 
skilled  in  the  care  of  horses  from  Tuskegee  Insti- 
tute, and  eight  carpenters  from  Howard  University. 
The  best  evidence  of  the  high  character  of  the  ser- 
vice in  France  rendered  by  this  regiment  is  the 
following: 

112 


TWO    COLORED    WOMEN    WITH    THE    A.    E.    F. 


January  16,  1919. 

From:        Commanding  Officer,  805th  Pioneer  Infantry. 
To:  The  Adjutant  General,  G.  H.  Q.,  A.  E.  F. 

Subject:     Commendation  of  Regiment. 

1.  I  feel  it  a  duty  which  I  owe  the  officers  and  enlisted 
men  of  this  regiment  which  the  War  Department  has 
given  me  the  honor  of  commanding,  to  place  on  record 
at  General  Headquarters,  American  Expeditionary  Forces, 
the  enclosed  papers  commending  their  conscientious  and 
intelligent  work. 

2.  The  first  is  a  letter  from  the  Chief  Engineer,  First 
Army,  regarding  the  services  rendered  by  the  805th  Pio- 
neer  Infantry  in  the  Argonne-Meuse  Campaign,  which 
began  September  26,  1918,  in  which  this  organization 
participated  from  October  3rd  to  the  conclusion  of  the 
Armistice.    The  second  is  a  letter  from  the  Chief  Salvage 
Officer,  First  Army,  stating  that  the  regiment  "by  its  in- 
telligent co-operation  and  initiative"  was  of  great  assist- 
ance to  him. 

3.  I  claim  no  credit  for  myself,  but  only  for  the  officers 
and  men  to  whose  energy,  judgment,  tact  and  force  of  the 
highest  grade,  must  be  attributed  any  success  this  regi- 
ment may  have  attained. 

2  Encl.  C.  B.  HUMPHREY, 

Colonel  Infantry,  U.  S.  A.,  Commanding. 


113 


TWO    COLORED    WOMEN    WITH    THE    A.    E.    F. 

HEADQUARTERS,  FIRST  ARMY. 
OFFICE  OF  CHIEF  ENGINEER. 

November  24,  1918. 
From:        Chief  Engineer,  First  Army. 

To:  The  Commanding  Officer,  805th  Pioneer  In- 

fantry. 

Subject:     Services  rendered  during  offensive. 

1.  The  Chief  Engineer  desires  to  express  his  highest 
appreciation  to  you  and  to  your  regiment  for  the  services 
rendered   to  the  First  Army   in   the   Offensive   between 
the  Meuse   and  the  Argonne,  starting  September  26th, 
and  the  continuation  of  that  Offensive  on  November  1st 
and  concluding  with  the  Armistice  of  November  llth. 

2.  The  success  of  the  operations  of  the  Army  Engineer 
Troops    toward    constructing    and    maintaining    supply 
lines,  both  roads  and  railway,  of  the  Army,  was  in  no 
small  measure  made  possible  by  the  excellent  work  per- 
formed by  your  troops. 

3.  It  is  desired  that  the  terms  of  this  letter  be  published 
to  all  the  officers  and  enlisted  men  of  your  command  at  the 
earliest  opportunity. 

4.  A  copy  of  this  letter  has  been  sent  to  the  Chief  of 
Staff,  First  Army. 

GEORGE  R.  SPALDING,  Col.  Engrs., 

Chief  Engineer,  First  Army, 
American  E.  F. 


114 


TWO    COLORED    WOMEN    WITH    THE    A.    E.    F. 

AMERICAN  EXPEDITIONARY  FORCES 

HEADQUARTERS,  FIRST  ARMY, 
OFFICE  OF  THE  CHIEF  SALVAGE  OFFICER. 

December  17,  1918. 
From:        Chief  Salvage  Officer,  First  Army. 

To:  Colonel  C.  B.  Humphrey,  Commanding  Officer, 

805th  Pioneer  Infantry. 

Subject:     Commendation. 

1.  I  wish  to  express  my  appreciation  of  the  very  ex- 
cellent work  done  by  you  and  your  command,  while  I  had 
charge  of  the  Salvage  Operations  in  the  Battle  Area,  First 
Army. 

2.  Your  regiment  by  its  intelligent  co-operation  and 
initiative  has  been  of  the  greatest  assistance  in  carrying 
on  operations,  conducted  under  very  trying  conditions. 

JEREMIAH  BEALL, 
Lieutenant  Colonel,  Ord.  Dept., 
Chief  Salvage  Officer. 

HEADQUARTERS,  805TH  PIONEER  INFANTRY, 
AMERICAN  E.  F. 

January  17,  1919. 

1.  It  is  with  pleasure  that  I  publish  herewith  true 
copies  of  the  foregoing  letters  for  the  information  of 
this  command. 

C.  B.  HUMPHREY, 
Colonel  Infantry,  U.  S.  A., 

Commanding. 
Official: 
PAUL  S.  BLISS, 

Capt.  Inf.,  U.  S.  A.,  Adjutant. 

115 


TWO    COLORED    WOMEN    WITH    THE    A.    E.    F. 

The  805th  had  three  men  at  the  University  of 
London  during  the  educational  period,  Sergeant 
Major  Marriott,  and  Sergeants  Walter  Powers  and 
Leonard  Barnett.  This  was  another  testimony  to 
the  worth  of  its  personnel. 

The  806th  formed  at  Camp  Funston  at  about 
the  same  time  as  the  805th,  and  the  815th  and 
816th,  formed  there  later,  were  made  up  in  much 
the  same  way.  Twelve  hundred  enlisted  men  of 
158th  Depot  Brigade  made  the  foundation  of  the 
802nd  Pioneer  Infantry,  formed  at  Camp  Sherman, 
while  other  groups  from  the  regular  army  were 
disributed  through  the  regiment. 

The  outstanding  characteristic  of  these  regiments 
was  their  rapid  mobilization  and  departure  for 
France.  Very  brief,  at  best,  was  the  training  they 
received  in  the  American  camps.  In  some  instances 
it  was  as  highly  intensive  and  thorough  as  time 
allowed.  The  great  mass  of  these  men  had  known 
absolutely  nothing  of  military  life  six  weeks,  and, 
in  some  cases,  three  weeks,  before  taking  transport 
for  France.  But  they  went  as  others  had  gone, 
resolute  and  firm  in  faith.  As  they  sailed  away, 
their  folk  knew  that  they  had  given  the  residue  of 
their  strong  young  manhood.  The  last  hope  of  the 
colored  Americans  had  been  cheerfully  placed 
upon  the  altar  as  their  gift.  It  was  their  last  grim 
insistence  on  the  triumph  of  the  Great  Cause  for 
which  the  race  stood  so  desperately  in  need. 

A  wonderful  sight  were  those  convoys  with  their 
mighty  hosts,  as  they  plowed  their  way  across  those 
three  thousand  miles  of  periled  ocean!  More 

116 


GROUP  OF  PIONEER  INFANTRYMEN 


TWO    COLORED    WOMEN    WITH    THE    A.    E.    F. 

wonderful  if  we  can  really  realize  that  for  them 
death  was  ever  near,  hiding  its  piratical  and  cruel 
head  beneath  the  waves.  Relative  to  a  voyage 
across  at  that  time  we  quote  from  the  history  of 
one  of  the  regiments  the  following: 

"At  least  once  daily,  and  often  three  times,  the  bugle 
sounded  'Boat  Call'  and  thereupon  everyone  hurried  to 
his  assigned  place.  Fire  drills  often  accompanied  boat 
drills. 

Each  vessel  bore  a  heavy  gun  astern  and  howitzers 
forward  for  firing  depth  bombs.  Details  were  told  off 
to  help  serve  the  guns.  During  the  last  four  days  out 
officers  were  posted  alternately  with  enlisted  men  on 
submarine  lookout  posts,  so  that  there  were  five  officers, 
and  five  enlisted  men  continually  on  this  duty  in  addi- 
tion to  the  regular  guard. 

Portholes  were  closed  at  dusk  throughout  the  entire 
voyage  and  no  smoking  outside  was  permitted  after  dark. 
Silence  on  deck  after  dark  was  also  prescribed  during 
the  last  four  days.  No  bugle  calls  were  permitted  during 
foggy  weather. 

Good  ships  had  gone  down  in  the  same  area  and 
there  were  times  when  there  was  anxiety.  Once  a  mine 
was  sighted  and  passed  at  about  sixty  feet.  The  matter 
was  flashed  to  the  destroyers  who  went  to  the  spot  and 
dropped  depth  bombs.  Two  days  out  word  was  received 
that  a  submarine  had  been  sighted  by  a  destroyer  dead 
ahead.  At  the  same  time  the  cruiser  signalled  and  the 
whole  convoy  literally  'went  by  the  left  flank.'  From 
that  time  on  the  course  was  changed  every  few  minutes." 

So,  not  only  that  regiment  but  others  crossed. 
And  some  others  had  far  more  exciting  and  hazard- 
ous times  fighting  those  German  sea  monsters.  On 
both  sides  of  the  Atlantic  there  was  anxious  wait- 
ing; and  now  and  then  it  was  useless  waiting,  for 

117 


TWO    COLORED    WOMEN    WITH    THE    A.    E.    F. 

as  these  brave  sons  journeyed  across,  some  found 
their  graves  in  the  deep  gray  fathomless  deep. 
There  white  crosses  and  poppies  may  not  be  found, 
but  resting  in  that  mysterious  sea  world,  new 
emblems  of  honor,  beautiful  and  sparkling,  will 
decorate  them  for  all  time. 

We  were  with  the  soldiers  in  France,  cut  off 
almost  entirely  from  the  outer  world.  One  morn- 
ing the  word  was  flashed  through  camp  that  a  whole 
regiment  of  Pioneer  Infantry  had  arrived.  "What 
are  Pioneer  Infantries?"  everyone  asked.  Many 
answers  were  volunteered  but  none  very  satisfac- 
tory. This  ignorance  was  not  altogether  our  own 
fault.  We  had  heard  no  mention  of  pioneers  in 
those  first  days  of  mobilization  before  we  left  the 
United  States.  Our  "continental  editions"  of  the 
New  York  Herald,  London  Times,  and  Chicago 
Tribune  were  just  about  as  meagre  of  information 
as  they  were  of  size.  True,  friends  sent  us  maga- 
zines and  papers,  but  in  those  days  they  rarely 
reached  us.  So  we  asked — "What  are  Pioneer 
Infantries?" 

All  were  quickly  at  work  preparing  to  receive 
the  newcomers.  An  addition  of  three  thousand  men 
meant  extra  work.  Reams  of  paper  and  thousands 
of  envelopes  had  to  be  prepared  for  easy  distribu- 
tion, because  writing  material  was  the  very  first 
demand  of  the  soldier  landing  on  foreign  soil. 
Above  all  other  pressing  needs  was  the  need  to 
write  the  folk  back  home  that,  "I  got  over  all  right." 
Not  only  were  letters  hurried  home,  but  the  hands 
of  the  Y  folk  were  quickly  filled  with  messages  to 

118 


TWO    COLORED    WOMEN    WITH    THE    A.    E.    F. 

be  cabled.  Extra  gallons  of  chocolate  had  to  be 
made  and  canteen  supplies  enlarged;  special  "in- 
formation bureaus"  set  up;  money  made  ready  for 
exchange  and  other  details  arranged  for  prompt 
service. 

But  as  we  worked  we  also  wondered  about  these 
new  soldiers.  The  word  "pioneer"  embodied  a 
wealth  of  courage  and  daring,  so  that  long  before 
the  807th  rushed  our  hut  that  September  afternoon, 
we  had  woven  about  them  all  the  wonderful  dreams 
of  their  achievements  at  the  front  that  it  is  possible 
for  a  woman's  fancy  to  fashion.  And,  although 
they  never  had  all  the  chance  we  had  dreamed  for 
them,  they  did  not  fail  us.  Wherever  an  oppor- 
tunity challenged  them,  they  triumphantly  answered 
it,  as  attested  below: 

HEADQUARTERS,  807TH  PIONEER  INFANTRY, 

M.  T.  C.  RECEPTION  PARK,  714, 

Bourg  (Haute  Marne),  France. 

A.  P.  0.  714. 

April  26,  1919. 
General  Orders  No.  2. 

1.  The  commanding  officer  takes  pleasure  in  publish- 
ing to  the  command  the  following  letters  received  from 
General  Headquarters,  American  Expeditionary  Forces, 
relative  to  participations  of  the  807th  Pioneer  Infantry 
in  the  Meuse-Argonne  Offensive.  It  is  desired  that  this 
order  be  published  to  all  troops,  and  that  proper  recog- 
nition of  the  same  be  made  on  all  records  pertaining 
thereto.  It  is  the  intention  of  the  Commanding  Officer 
to  present  this  ribbon  when  the  regiment  has  again  as- 
sembled. Service  ribbons  as  prescribed,  will  be  for- 
warded as  soon  as  received. 

119 


TWO    COLORED    WOMEN    WITH    THE    A.    E.    F. 

France,  April  19,  1919. 

From:        The  Adjutant  General,  American  3.  1. 
To:  Commanding  Officer  807th,  Pioneer  Infantry. 

Subject:     Ribbons. 

1.  Herewith  is  a  copy  of  the  order  issued  at  these 
Headquarters  on  the  subject  of  the  award  of  silver  bands 
to  be  engraved  and  placed  upon  the  Pike  of  Colors  of 
Lance  of  the  standards  of  the  organizations  which  have 
served  in  the  A.  E.  F.;  even  if  we  get  here  in  France  the 
prescribed  silver  bands',  it  would  be  impossible  to  have 
the  engraving  done  in  time  to  present  them  to  the  divi- 
sions entitled  to  them.     For  that  reason  each  organiza- 
tion is  given  a  ribbon  which  shows  which  battle  it  par- 
ticipated  in.     This   ribbon   will   be   retained   until   the 
proper  silver  band  is  presented  by  the  War  Department. 

2.  The  Commander  in  Chief  directs  me  to  send  the 
ribbons  to  you,  and  to  ask  you  to  present  them  with 
appropriate  ceremonies  to  the  units  for  which  they  are 
intended.     He  regrets  that  this  cannot  be  done  by  him 
in  person. 

By  Command  of  GENERAL  PERSHING. 

J.  A.  JONES. 

France,  April  19,  1919. 

From:        Commander-in-Chief,  American  E.  F. 
To:  Commanding  Officer  807th,  Pioneer  Infantry 

Subject:     Battle  Participation. 

1.  Following  is  a  list  of  battle  engagements  of  the 
807th  Pioneer  Infantry  Regiment,  during  the  War  with 
Germany,  including  organizations  which  are  entitled  to 
the  silver  bands  awarded  under  paragraph  244,  Army 
Regulations.  The  ribbons  furnished  herewith  are  in  lieu 
of  the  bands  which  will  be  supplied  by  the  Adjutant 
General  of  the  Army  later. 

120 


TWO    COLORED    WOMEN    WITH    THE    A.    E.    F. 

(1)  Meuse-Argonne  Offensive,  France,  October  25  to 
November  11,  1918.  Organization  entitled  to  silver 
band:  807th  Regiment  of  Pioneer  Infantry. 

By  Command  of  GENERAL  PERSHING. 

J.  A.  JONES, 
Adjutant  General. 

By  Order  of  COLONEL  GARY. 

CHARLES  W.  ROOTH, 

Captain,  8Q7th  Pioneer  Infantry, 
Acting  Adjutant. 

Somehow  it  seemed  difficult  for  the  above  regi- 
ment and  others,  whom  we  questioned  from  time  to 
time,  to  know  just  why  they  had  been  honored  with 
their  name.  Many  of  them  had  the  high  hope  at 
first,  as  one  fine  soldier  expressed  it,  that  they  were 
to  be  trained  into  the  highest  type  of  combatant 
troops,  who  were  to  clear  the  way  to  victory.  Their 
record  is  abundant  proof  that  they  did  clear  the 
way  to  victory,  but  it  was  hardly  as  combatant 
troops  that  they  won  their  honors.  Although  sharing 
the  general  hardships  of  the  front,  subjected  to 
its  shot  and  shell,  they  had  small  chance  for  real 
fighting.  When  the  Armistice  came  several  of 
these  regiments  had  reached  the  trenches,  and  with 
another  week  of  war,  their  story  would  have  been 
a  very  different  one. 

Most  of  these  regiments  as  they  reached  France, 
were  forwarded  to  the  Haute-Marne  Training  Area 
where  they  were  given  short  but  strenuous  instruc- 
tions in  French  warfare.  From  there  they  were 

121 


TWO    COLORED    WOMEN    WITH    THE    A.    E.    F. 

again  sent  forward,  this  time  to  the  aid  of  the 
various  fighting  detachments. 

A  notable  exception  to  this  general  disposition 
of  these  Pioneer  Regiments  was  the  809th — a 
sturdy  set  of  lads  from  the  Middle  and  Northwest. 
They  arrived  in  France  in  early  October,  and 
almost  immediately  were  ordered  to  the  front. 
Investigation  showed  that  this  regiment  had  been 
formed  about  the  first  of  September,  sailed  the 
21st  of  the  same  month,  and  that  most  of  the 
men  knew  very  little  about  handling  a  rifle.  The 
order  was  revoked  and  the  regiment  kept  in  the 
rear,  most  of  them  being  sent  to  Nantes,  where  they 
remained  until  the  following  summer.  And  yet 
this  regiment  had  a  larger  percent  of  professional 
men  and  skilled  artisans  in  their  ranks  than  most 
of  the  others.  Three  of  the  nine  who  went  to  the 
University  of  London  were  from  this  organization. 
Howard  Drew,  the  world-champion  at  a  hundred 
yards,  Dismukes,  Lyons,  Malacher  and  Charleston 
of  baseball  fame  were  a  part  of  it.  Lionel  Artis, 
now  Y.  M.  C.  A.  Secretary  at  Indianapolis  was 
one  of  its  fine  Regimental  Sergeant  Majors.  An 
officer  admitted  to  the  men  that  he  had  been  re- 
quested to  recommend  some  of  them  for  commis- 
sions, but  preferred  to  keep  them  to  build  up  the 
regiment. 

The  experiences  of  these  Pioneer  regiments  in 
France,  related  in  their  own  unique  expressions, 
would  make  a  volume  of  much  historical  value, 
rich  in  humor  and  pathos.  Each  regiment  held  a 
certain  pride  for  outstanding  qualities  peculiar  to 

122 


PIONEER  INFANTRYMEN 

Sergeants  Baylis,  Coleman  and  Freeman. 

Sergeant-Majors   Long,   Armstead   and   Clifford. 

Sergeants   Carr  and  Johnson. 


TWO    COLORED    WOMEN    WITH    THE    A.    E.    F. 

itself.  Very  often  we  found  "silence  golden"  as 
we  sat  in  the  midst  of  heated  discussions  relative  to 
the  merits  of  these  various  "8s,"  as  they  were 
often  called,  because  the  regiments  ranged  in  num- 
ber from  801  to  816.  But  we  did  learn  by  per- 
sonal contact  that  each  organization  had  its  own 
distinctive  fineness  and  fitness,  and  all  who  served 
these  men  in  France  will  ever  count  it  one  of  their 
greatest  privileges  as  welfare  workers. 

The  first  of  these  regiments  to  reach  France  was 
the  808th,  which  landed  at  Brest  September  7th, 
1918.  There  were  many  men  in  this  group  of 
superior  intellect  and  character— Maurice  Clifford, 
a  teacher  of  the  High  School,  Washington,  D.  C., 
and  son  of  Honorable  and  Mrs.  William  H.  Clif- 
ford, was  one  of  its  regimental  sergeant  majors; 
Cornelius  Dawson,  graduate  of  Lincoln  University, 
had  left  his  theological  course  at  Philadelphia  to 
join  the  ranks.  Warwick  Johnson  of  Virginia 
Union  University  fame  was  one  of  them,  along  with 
hundreds  of  others  of  the  same  type.  These  men 
were  called  to  help  the  12th  Engineers  in  the  con- 
struction of  a  narrow  gauge  railway  at  the  front. 
As  they  worked,  shot  and  shell  rained  over  them. 
In  their  dugouts  they  were  tortured  by  rats  and 
"cooties."  Small  wonder  that  an  officer  who  had 
observed  it  all  should  have  remarked:  "We  can- 
not understand  their  make-up,  for  under  hardest 
conditions  they  hold  themselves  together  and  are 
able  to  raise  a  song."  It  seems  after  all  that  only 
black  folk  can  interpret  the  "Souls  of  Black  Folk." 
We  went  to  look  for  the  "808"  at  Dombasle  where 

123 


TWO    COLORED    WOMEN    WITH    THE    A.    E.    F. 

they  had  their  headquarters  so  long  after  the  war 
ended.  But  they  had  entrained,  and  there  was 
left  only  the  dreary  waste  and  desolation,  that 
swept  unbroken  over  many  a  mile,  to  tell  us  the 
terrible  isolation  they  had  suffered  in  France. 

One  of  the  men  of  the  "813"  said:  "We  endured 
all  the  hardships  of  the  front  but  missed  the  thing 
we  wanted  most — some  real  whacks  at  the  enemy." 
This  was  no  doubt  true,  for  this  regiment  was  really 
bombarded  from  one  front  to  the  other  until  it 
reached  St.  Remy  a  few  miles  from  Metz.  Then 
the  order  came  to  fight!  It  was  two  o'clock  in  the 
morning,  and  at  four  they  were  moving  forward. 
For  two  days  they  were  under  constant  fire.  This 
regiment  held  itself  with  a  justifiable  pride. 
Regimental  Sergeant  Major  W.  W.  Tyler,  fine  in 
physique,  intellect  and  manners,  was  a  fit  leader 
and  representative  of  the  men  under  him.  Whether 
in  field  maneuvers  under  Sergeant  Major  Williams 
of  the  24th  Infantry,  or  in  the  office  with  men  like 
Jay  Dickinson,  one  was  conscious  of  the  high 
intelligence  of  the  soldiers  of  the  "813th."  We 
went  one  Sunday  to  visit  some  of  this  particular 
regiment.  At  that  time  it  had  been  distributed  on 
the  various  battlefields  to  assemble  the  American 
dead  in  cemeteries,  and  we  were  visiting  the  com- 
panies at  Belleau  Wood  and  Fere-en-Tardenois, 
near  Chateau  Thierry.  At  these  places  the  men 
gathered  in  the  huts  to  hear  a  word  from  the  Y 
secretaries.  Each  had  received  the  hearty  applause 
that  only  soldiers  know  how  to  give.  But  there  was 
one  young  lad  in  the  party,  formerly  a  sergeant  in 

124 


TWO    COLORED    WOMEN    WITH    THE    A.    E.    F. 

the  regiment,  who  had  been  released  to  the  Y.  M. 
C.  A.  for  service.  It  was  when  he  modestly  moved 
fonvard  to  say  his  word  that  the  men  made  the  hut 
too  small  for  their  outburst.  There  were  yells  and 
cries  for  "Sergeant  Burwell!  Burwell!"  until,  put- 
ting his  hand  to  his  mouth,  he  yelled  back,  "Fel- 
lows, give  me  a  chance!"  He  stood  before  them 
with  a  wonderful  light  on  his  face,  and  drove  home 
plain  truths  about  right  living;  he  told  them  about 
those  secret  places  of  reward  for  the  hard  things 
they  were  then  doing.  The  men  listened  to  him  and 
cheered,  because  they  knew  that  he  exemplified  in 
his  own  life  the  message  he  gave  them. 

The  day  was  closing  at  Fere-en-Tardenois  and  we 
went  to  sit  on  a  log  and  eat  supper  out  of  a  bor- 
rowed mess  kit.  It  was  then  two  of  the  fellows 
said  they  wanted  to  tell  us  something.  This  is 
what  they  told  us.  "We  think  you  might  be  able 
to  tell  some  of  the  Y  men  about  our  condition 
here,  and  they  could  help  change  it.  We  find  the 
P'rench  villagers  here  have  been  told  we  are  an 
aggregation  of  diseased  men,  sent  to  dig  these 
graves  and  bury  the  dead  as  a  punishment!"  It 
had  been  a  glorious  day,  full  of  the  fun  and  joy 
to  be  found  in  the  midst  of  our  young  manhood, 
and  we  had  realized  all  the  delightful  thrills  of 
being  A.  W.  0.  L.  (absent  without  official  leave). 
But  now  the  cloud  came  as  it  so  often  did  in  France. 
We  looked  out  upon  the  war  shattered  landscape 
about  us,  and  wondered  why  the  spirits  of  the 
thousands  of  French,  who  had  allowed  themselves 
to  be  mowed  down  in  that  very  place  rather  than 

125 


TWO    COLORED    WOMEN    WITH    THE    A.    E.    F. 

surrender  the  principles  of  right,  did  not  rise  up 
to  curse  this  awful  wrong.  With  tears  in  our  souls, 
but  with  brave  eyes,  we  talked  to  them.  We  did 
tell  this  case,  but  the  soul  that  should  have  been 
strong  to  vindicate  them,  proved  but  a  weakling, 
and  the  young  Y  man  who  made  the  attempt  to  help 
them,  was  not  only  thwarted,  but  crushed  for  his 
effort. 

Several  of  the  Pioneer  regiments  touched  foreign 
soil  at  Liverpool.  Some  were  held  there  for  service 
as  were  some  labor  battalions.  But  most  of  them 
crossed  England  to  Southampton  and  landed  at  La 
Havre.  This  was  the  route  of  the  802nd,  who  came 
largely  from  West  Virginia,  Ohio  and  Pennsylvania. 
Making  long  and  exhausting  hikes,  this  regiment 
also  reached  the  First  Army  where  it  talked  little 
and  worked  hard.  Says  one  of  the  men:  "Our 
regiment  was  divided  about  October  1st  into  three 
sections.  The  first  battalion  was  given  the  task 
of  helping  the  engineers  build  a  standard  gauge 
railway  from  Aubreville  to  a  point  north,  half-way 
to  Varennes — a  distance  of  ten  kilometers.  The 
second  battalion  was  to  connect  up  with  the  first 
battalion  at  this  point — thence  northward  five  kilo- 
meters beyond  Varennes.  The  third  battalion  was 
given  the  task  of  furnishing  rock  from  the  stone 
quarries  for  the  repair  of  the  highway.  All  this 
work  was  highly  essential  in  order  to  keep  the 
firing  line  supplied  with  ammunition,  rations,  etc. 
The  conditions  in  the  sector  were  at  all  times  most 
trying.  The  men  were  subjected  to  bombardment 
from  enemy  long  range  guns  and  aerial  attacks 

126 


TWO    COLORED    WOMEN    WITH    THE    A.    E.    F. 

almost  daily.  But  the  railroad  was  completed  in 
a  short  time,  and  supplies  were  speeding  up  to  the 
front  for  the  final  drive." 

November  18th,  seven  days  after  the  Armistice 
was  signed,  the  entire  802nd  Pioneer  Regiment  was 
highly  commended  in  general  orders  by  the  Chief 
Engineer  of  the  First  American  Army  in  which  he 
declared  their  services  indispensable  to  the  final 
drive.  We  must  look  behind  this  record  to  the 
quiet,  dignified,  but  wonderfully  alert  enlisted  men 
who  made  it.  The  ranking  Regimental  Sergeant 
Major,  J.  Emmet  Armistead,  was  not  only  an  ex- 
perienced army  man  of  spotless  record,  cultured  by 
hard  study  and  Old  World  travel,  but  a  high  type 
of  Christian  soldier.  Although  still  young,  he 
carries  the  marks  of  Philippine  fighting  and  is  an 
expert  swimmer,  horseman,  marksman  and  athlete. 
But  one  learned  this  only  after  many  conversations 
and  gentle  probings.  This  spirit  of  modesty  went 
down  through  the  regiment.  We  think  of  Sergeant 
Toney  of  Ohio  University,  Sergeant  Kenneth  Pack 
of  Virginia  Union  University,  and  many  others  who 
made  us  conscious  of  the  fineness  of  the  regiment. 

No  two  Pioneer  regiments  were  quite  so  famed 
as  hard  workers  and  hard  fighters  as  the  801st  and 
the  803rd.  Both  shared  the  toil  and  danger  of 
other  regiments,  but  both  seemed  to  have  been 
determined  to  fight  for  right  treatment,  although 
it  meant  continuous  fighting.  At  Brest,  we  saw 
evidence  of  the  labors  of  the  801st  in  the  trans- 
formation of  Pontanezen  from  a  mudhole  to  the 
cleanest  and  most  modern  of  camps.  These  men 

9  127 


TWO    COLORED    WOMEN    WITH    THE   A.    E.    F. 

came  from  Indiana  and  Kentucky,  and  the  regiment 
was  formed  at  Camp  Taylor,  largely  of  the  157th 
and  159th  Depot  Brigades.  The  Y.  M.  C.  A.  gained 
two  secretaries  from  it,  Sergeant  Majors  Eggleson 
and  Watkins,  who  gave  fine  service  to  their  former 
comrades.  Regimental  Sergeant  Major  U.  S.  Don- 
aldson of  this  organization  was  among  the  brightest 
and  most  popular  of  the  soldier-students  who  went 
to  the  British  Universities. 

Of  all  the  Pioneer  regiments,  we  knew  the  803rd 
best — those  "terrible"  Illinois  lads,  one  thousand 
of  whom  came  from  Chicago.  In  fact  they  were 
our  own  regiment,  for  they  christened  us  god- 
mother with  water  that  flowed  straight  down  from 
the  far-famed  Alps.  It  was  for  some  of  the  men 
of  this  regiment  that  we  first  cooked  sausages  and 
pancakes  in  the  Leave  Area;  for  its  band  that  we 
made  our  first  ice  cream  there.  It  was  there  that 
group  after  group  told  us  of  their  lonely  life  at 
St.  Maurice,  Vigneulies,  and  other  points  near 
Verdun.  Afterward,  we  were  sent  to  serve  them, 
but,  alas,  it  was  too  late,  as  they  had  entrained. 
However,  we  caught  up  with  the  whole  regiment  at 
Pontanezen,  and  there,  instead  of  our  serving  them, 
they  served  us.  True,  we  gave  them  ice  cream, 
lemonade,  cookies,  "movies"  and  books.  But 
whatever  of  beauty  and  comfort  came  to  the  Y 
hut  known  as  "Soldiers'  Rest"  at  Camp  Pontanezen, 
was  largely  due  to  the  energy,  time  and  money  in- 
vested by  the  803rd  in  its  remodeling.  From  Com- 
pany M,  with  its  wonderful  sergeants  from  the 
regular  army,  always  alert  to  help  us,  we  were 

128 


MEN  OF  THE  PIONEER  INFANTRIES 

1.  Sergeant   Sheridan.      2.  Sergeant   Roach.      3.  Sergeant   Chapman.      4. 
Sergeant    Jeton.      5.    Sergeant    Dawson.      6.    Sergeant    Gowdy.      7.    Ser- 
geant-Major Hardy.     8.     Sergeant-Major  H.  L.  Coverdale  with  Sergeants 
9.  Sergeant    Blackwell 


TWO    COLORED    WOMEN    WITH    THE    A.    E.    F. 

supplied  the  finest  "detail"  for  work  about  the 
hut  to  be  found  in  all  France.  But  the  volunteer 
details  were  no  less  fine,  and  we  can  never  forget 
Taylor  and  James  who  constituted  themselves  our 
protectors  as  well  as  hut  carpenters. 

We  could  fill  a  whole  book  with  the  names  of 
men  of  this  regiment  who  throng  our  memory. 
There  was  Gowdy,  Griffin,  Williams,  Jetton,  Sheri- 
dan, Harrison  and  Matthews  all  soldiers,  but  gentle- 
men first;  there  was  Curtis  Kennedy,  whose  young 
face  shone  as  he  talked  of  his  wife,  mother  and  baby 
back  home;  there  was  Sergeant  Washington,  who 
knew  so  well  the  value  of  a  balanced  menu,  and 
gave  us  our  best  mess  in  France,  then  sailed  away, 
leaving  us  to  our  leanest  days.  But  memory  clings 
closest  to  the  one,  who  in  addition  to  the  loneliness 
and  hardship  of  life  at  the  front,  had  bitter  gall 
sent  him  from  home  to  drink.  For  a  time  it  seemed 
too  much  to  endure,  and  he  was  ready  for  the 
plunge  of  despair.  Slowly  but  surely,  we  drew 
that  man  back  from  the  precipice,  and  lingered 
near  till  he  was  on  sure  ground,  and  the  strength 
of  the  real  soldier  had  come  once  again  into  his 
veins.  What  joy  to  know  that  for  him  there  is 
still  the  grim  determination  to  walk  the  better  way. 

One  afternoon,  in  our  hut  at  the  port,  a  whistle 
sounded  and  a  sharp  command  followed,  "All 
men  of  the  804th  report  to  their  barracks  at  once." 
What  did  it  matter  that  the  most  interesting  pictures 
imaginable  were  being  passed  over  the  screen* 
The  "804th,"  with  its  plenty  of  brain  and  plenty 
of  brawn — who  had  now  and  then  sent  an  over- 

129 


TWO    COLORED    WOMEN    WITH    THE    A.    E.    F. 

bearing  military  police  into  deep  repose — the 
"804th,"  with  the  isolations  and  hardships  of  the 
front  still  haunting  it,  was  going  home  that  July 
day.  Oh,  the  gladness  of  them  for  this  hard- 
earned  reward!  It  was  so  contagious  that  it  filled 
not  only  their  souls  but  those  of  their  comrades 
of  other  organizations,  waiting  for  the  same  mes- 
sage. 

Some  one  said  that  the  order  went  forth,  "only 
handsome  men  for  the  806th."  Certain  it  was  that 
everywhere  they  went  in  France  one  heard  their 
good  looks  mentioned.  But  it  in  no  wise  spoiled 
them  for  the  immense  amount  of  work  they  did. 
At  the  front,  at  Montrichard,  at  Orley,  and  last 
near  Paris,  where  they  helped  to  build  the  cele- 
brated Pershing  Stadium,  they  carried  themselves 
with  honor.  Many  of  the  men  of  this  regiment,  too, 
sought  for  training  and  commissions,  but  were  told 
that  they  were  too  badly  needed  by  their  regiment 
to  encourage  any  changes. 

The  "811th"  and  "814th"  had  their  regiments 
split  up  from  the  beginning  and  used  at  many 
points — chiefly  in  the  S.  0.  S.  We  believe  that 
some  companies  of  the  "814th"  saw  service  in 
England.  These  men  were  rushed  across  the  ocean 
at  the  last  moment,  but  they  did  great  service  in 
salvaging  and  reconstruction  after  the  Armistice 
came.  We  recall  an  amusing  incident  in  connec- 
tion with  one  company  of  the  "814th."  It  had  but 
recently  reached  our  area,  and  was  at  mess  in  one 
of  the  huge  mess  halls,  constructed  towards  the  end 
of  the  war.  We  were  bravely  plunging  through  the 

130 


TWO    COLORED    WOMEN    WITH    THE    A.    E.    F. 

deep  mud  so  common  to  the  camps  in  France,  and 
wearing  high  hoots,  the  novelty  of  which  had  long 
since  heen  forgotten.  We  were  startled  by  a  sharp 
whistle,  followed  by  the  camp  expression — "Oo-la- 
la!"  that  brought  men  and  mess  kits  to  the  doors 
and  windows.  One  exclaimed,  "It's  a  genuine 
brown!"  while  another  in  most  sympathetic  voice 
added,  "And  it's  got  on  boots  too!"  For  a  moment 
embarrassment  swept  over  us,  but  we  knew  how 
genuine  was  the  surprise  of  colored  soldiers  at 
first  sight  of  their  own  women  in  France,  so  we 
laughed  back  and  waved  them  a  welcome  to  the 
Y  hut.  From  the  "811th,"  Sergeant  Ulysses  Young 
and  from  the  "814th"  Sergeant  Everett  Brewing- 
ton,  were  among  those  who  went  to  King's  College 
in  England. 

We  had  been  waiting  among  the  ruins  of  Verdun 
a  whole  week,  by  order  of  the  Regional  Secre- 
tary of  the  Y.  M.  C.  A. ;  he  was  trying  to  convince 
the  colonel  in  charge  of  Camp  Romagne  that  women 
would  help  to  better  the  conditions  in  that  camp. 
But  the  colonel  was  not  easily  convinced.  He 
told  us  afterward,  that  it  was  not  colored  women, 
but  just  women  that  he  felt  should  not  be 
with  the  soldiers  in  the  camps.  "War  was  stern 
and  men  ought  to  be  hard  at  such  times."  He  was 
not  alone  in  this  opinion,  for  not  only  did  colonels 
feel  that  way,  but  many  soldiers  and  welfare 
workers  were  of  that  opinion.  However,  we  finally 
rode  from  Verdun  to  Romagne  in  a  wonderfully 
uncertain  Ford,  through  thirty-six  kilometres  of 
blinding  dust  that  bit  and  stung  for  several  days. 

131 


TWO    COLORED    WOMEN    WITH    THE    A.    E.    F. 

But  it  was  all  well  worth  while,  for  it  gave  us  the 
chance  to  share  the  life  of  the  815th  and  816th 
Pioneers,  with  the  labor  battalions  who  were  there 
in  the  camp,  and  that  of  some  of  the  companies  of 
the  "813th"  who  came  later. 

We  reached  the  camp  on  Mother's  Day,  and 
as  many  of  the  men  as  could  crowd  the  "hanger," 
as  the  tent  auditorium  was  called,  were  there. 
After  a  year  among  soldiers,  we  had  become 
quite  accustomed  to  whistles,  calls,  applause  and 
shouts;  otherwise  the  noise  occasioned  by  a  woman's 
advent  among  the  thousands  of  men,  might  have 
overwhelmed  us,  and  made  it  impossible  to  reach 
the  rostrum. 

The  work  of  these  stalwart  California  lads  of 
the  "815th,"  and  of  the  "816th,"  so  many  of  whom 
came  from  the  Central  West,  is  told  elsewhere  in 
the  chapter  Reburying  of  the  Dead.  Their  record, 
with  that  of  the  "813th,"  and  labor  battalions  who 
helped  at  the  task,  is  the  most  sacred  of  all  the 
Pioneer  regiments.  They  were  "our  boys"  at 
Romagne,  and  again  at  Brest!  They  were  the  very 
last  of  the  Pioneers  to  reach  France  and  the  last 
to  reach  America  again.  It  was  a  picture  to  linger 
in  the  memory,  as  with  packs  on  back,  bags  in  hand 
and  heads  erect,  we  saw  these  men  march  at  the 
dawn  of  the  day  out  of  the  camp,  down  the  long 
dusty  road,  over  the  city  streets  to  the  waiting 
transports.  They  were  not  permitted  to  look  to 
the  right  or  left,  but  as  they  passed  slowly  by,  a 
lifting  of  the  eyes,  a  movement  of  the  hand,  or  in 
some  small  way,  the  women  who  had  served  them 

132 


TWO    COLORED    WOMEN    WITH    THE    A.    E.    F. 

recognized    through    tear-dimmed    eyes    a    warm 
adieu. 

Those  Pioneer  regiments,  so  quickly  mobilized  to 
meet  an  emergency,  were  just  as  quickly  demobi- 
lized with  the  return  of  the  men  to  America.  But 
the  strengthening  and  unifying  processes  through 
which  they  passed  as  a  result  of  the  hard  work, 
hard  sacrifices,  and  in  many  cases,  hard  treatment 
of  the  war,  can  never  be  demobilized.  There  will 
be  little  whining  from  these  men  who  are  even 
yet  Pioneers.  But  certain  of  their  power  of 
achievement,  keen  and  courageous  for  truth  and 
justice,  they  will  hold  fast  to  their  vision  of  the 
future,  and  with  strong,  sure  hands,  build  toward 
that  future. 


133 


Ye  Queens,  who  bear  the  birth-pangs  of  a  world, 

To  whom  the  nations  in  this  hour  of  stress, 

For  succor  look,  and  for  the  truth  to  bless, 

Ye  great,  whose  fondled  darlings,  combed  and  curled, 

Are  in  the  shell-torn,  shamble-trenches  hurled, 

To  stay  the  hellish  Hun,  who  else  would  press, 

The  cup  of  degradation  and  distress, 

To  lips  of  men  with  freedom's  flag  unfurled — 

Ye  valiant  mother-band  who  gladly  gave, 

The  first  fruits  of  your  riven  wombs  to  save, 

The  world  from  horrors  darker  than  the  grave, 

Ye  are  the  Brave,  who  in  your  Country's  need 

Did  sow  the  trenches  with  your  precious  seed — 

The  greatest  gift  of  war,  and  valor's  noblest  deed. 

CARRIE  W.  CLIFFORD. 


134 


Over  the  Canteen  in  France 


PRESS  and  pulpit,  organizations  and  individuals 
were  beseeching  and  demanding  in  1918  that 
the  Red  Cross  add  some  of  our  well-trained  and 
experienced  nurses  to  their  "overseas"  contingent, 
but  no  favorable  response  could  be  obtained. 
Meantime,  the  Paris  Headquarters  of  the  Young 
Men's  Christian  Association  cabled  as  follows: 
"Send  six  fine  colored  women  at  once!"  This  call 
came  so  suddenly  that  for  a  while  attention  was 
diverted  from  the  Red  Cross  issue  that  had  been 
so  uppermost  in  all  minds. 

Six  women!  A  small  number  to  be  sure,  but 
the  requirements  for  eligibility  were  not  so  easy 
to  meet  and  one  must  not  have  a  close  relative  in 
the  army.  Many  questions  were  asked.  "Was 
there  a  real  need  for  women  over  there?  "Could 
they  stand  the  test?"  "Would  they  not  be  subjected 
to  real  danger?"  "Were  not  gruesome  stories 
being  told  relative  to  terrible  outrages  perpetrated 
on  women  who  had  gone?"  To  these  questions  and 
others  there  seemed  to  be  but  just  one  reply.  It 
was  that  if  hundreds  of  other  women  had  answered 
the  call  to  serve  the  armies  of  the  Allies,  surely 
among  the  thousands  of  colored  troops  already  in 
France  and  other  thousands  who  would  soon  follow 
there  would  be  some  place  of  service  for  six 
colored  women.  A  few  leaders  were  far-visioned 
enough  to  see  the  wisdom  of  colored  women  going 
overseas.  Mr.  Fred.  R.  Moore,  Editor  of  the  New 

135 


TWO    COLORED    WOMEN    WITH    THE    A.    E.    F. 

York  Age,  worked  untiringly  to  help  secure  the 
required  number,  while  Dr.  W.  E.  B.  Du  Bois,  Maj. 
R.  R.  Moton,  and  Mr.  Emmett  Scott  strongly  en- 
dorsed the  sending  over  of  colored  women. 

Almost  immediately  Mrs.  James  L.  Curtis  and 
Mrs.  William  A.  Hunton,  were  invited  to  go  to 
France.  Those  were  the  days  when  sailing  dates 
were  kept  secret  and  orders  for  departures  given 
at  the  last  moment.  When  the  first  call  to  sail 
came,  Mrs.  Hunton  could  not  easily  be  released 
from  the  war  work  she  had  undertaken  for  the 
Young  Women's  Christian  Association.  But  the 
following  week,  Mrs.  Curtis,  keenly  anxious  for 
the  adventure,  was  permitted  to  go  alone.  Mean- 
while, Miss  Kathryn  Johnson  had  been  called  from 
Chicago,  and  three  weeks  later  sailed  with  Mrs. 
Hunton. 

For  all  the  period  of  the  war  and  the  dreary 
winter  that  followed  it,  there  were  just  these  three 
colored  women  with  the  American  Expeditionary 
Forces  in  France.  Time  and  time  again  they  were 
lifted  up  by  rumors  that  other  canteen  workers 
were  on  the  way.  Whenever  they  saw  women  arriv- 
ing fresh  from  America,  they  would  at  once  inquire 
if  there  were  any  colored  women  in  their  party. 
Always  the  rumors  would  prove  false  and  the 
answer  negative.  Two  hundred  thousand  colored 
soldiers  and  three  colored  women  in  France!  So 
it  was  for  many  months.  But  finally  the  dream 
of  help  was  realized  when  in  the  spring  of  1919 
sixteen  canteen  workers  reached  France.  Only 
sixteen,  to  be  sure,  but  to  the  three  who  had  waited 

136 


TWO    COLORED    WOMEN    WITH    THE    A.    E.    F. 

and  served  so  long  alone,  they  seemed  a  mighty 
host. 

What  a  wonderful  spirit  these  sixteen  women 
brought  with  them!  They  had  been  impatiently 
waiting,  some  of  them  for  many  months,  to  answer 
the  call.  They  knew  how  their  soldiers  needed 
their  presence  in  France  so  they  arrived  eagerly 
ready  for  that  last  lap  of  Y  service,  the  impor- 
tance and  significance  of  which  can  hardly  be 
over-estimated.  The  Armies  of  the  Allies  had  won 
the  war,  but  there  was  a  moral  conflict  for  the  war- 
weary  men  hardly  less  subtle  and  deadly  in  its 
effects  than  the  conflict  just  ended.  It  required  a 
program  of  compelling  interest  to  hold  the  soldiers 
against  the  reaction  of  war's  excitement  and 
ghastly  experiences,  and  the  new  thirst  for  home 
and  friends.  Therefore,  the  coming  at  that  time 
of  sixteen  canteen  workers  for  our  soldiers  was 
wonderfully  opportune. 

But  just  what  of  the  canteen  service  for  all  the 
months  that  had  preceded  their  coming?  How 
had  just  three  of  us  managed  to  be  mothers,  sisters 
and  friends  to  thousands  of  men? 

The  first  colored  woman  who  reached  France 
had  been  sent  to  Saint  Sulpice  in  the  great  Bor- 
deaux area,  and  though  she  was  quickly  returned 
to  Paris,  the  few  days  she  had  spent  in  the  camp 
made  a  bright  spot  for  the  men  there  in  that  veri- 
table wilderness  of  hardships.  That  she  made  ice 
cream  and  other  "goodies"  for  them,  and  best  of 
all,  let  them  open  their  hearts  to  her,  was  never 
forgotten  by  the  men  of  that  camp.  Reaching 

137 


TWO    COLORED    WOMEN    WITH    THE    A.    E.    F. 

Paris,  we  found  her  with  a  group  of  men  secre- 
taries ordered  home.  It  was  then  that  for  the  first 
time  we  questioned  the  wisdom  of  our  adventure. 
Surely  we  had  not  given  up  home,  friends  and  work 
for  such  an  experience!  Would  blind  prejudice 
follow  us  even  to  France  where  men  were  dying  by 
the  thousands  for  the  principles  of  truth  and  jus- 
tice? There  had  been  no  slackening  of  the  impulse 
to  serve,  when  as  a  part  of  a  mighty  procession, 
we  crossed  the  periled  deep;  no  lessening  of  our 
enthusiasm  for  war  work  as  we  looked  for  the  first 
time  upon  war's  dark  picture.  But  somehow  this 
incident,  with  its  revelation  of  the  fact  that  preju- 
dice could  follow  us  for  three  thousand  miles 
across  the  Atlantic  to  the  very  heart  of  the  world's 
sorrow,  tremendously  shocked  us  in  those  first  days. 
But  it  was  a  challenge  to  a  heroic  sacrifice,  and 
we  realized  the  significance  of  the  challenge  more 
deeply  as  the  months  receded. 

Miss  Kathryn  Johnson  was  appointed  to  Brest, 
but  that  area,  too,  seems  not  to  have  been  keen  to 
the  advantage  of  a  colored  canteen  worker,  so  that 
she  was  returned  to  Paris.  Both  Miss  Johnson  and 
Mrs.  Curtis  were  then  assigned  to  the  advanced 
sector,  but  found  it  impossible,  because  of  the 
terrible  drive,  to  reach  their  posts. 

Meantime,  Mrs.  Hunton  had  been  sent  to  the  St. 
Nazaire  area,  and  it  is  there  that  our  story  of  can- 
teen service  really  begins,  because  whatever  of 
success  came  to  the  colored  women  in  France,  was 
due  primarily  to  the  record  made  by  them  in  this 
area. 

138 


TWO    COLORED    WOMEN    WITH    THE    A.    E.    F. 

The  St.  Nazaire  area,  in  the  region  of  the  Loire, 
was  more  than  any  other  the  pioneer  section  for 
colored  work.  There  went  Franklin  0.  Nichols, 
the  very  first  colored  welfare  worker  to  reach 
France,  and  there  he  constructed  the  first  Y  hut 
for  colored  men  in  France.  Soon,  he  was  joined 
by  the  Rev.  Leroy  Ferguson,  Mr.  John  C.  Wright 
and  Mr.  William  Stevenson,  each  of  whom  had 
direction  of  a  Y  hut  in  the  area.  In  due  time 
several  secretaries  arrived  to  help  these  first  men. 

When  Mrs.  Hunton  reached  Saint  Nazaire,  she 
was  immediately  assigned  to  Y  hut  5,  Camp 
One,  for  canteen  service  under  the  direction  of 
Mr.  John  C.  Wright,  and  to  visit  other  camps  of 
the  area.  Miss  Kathryn  Johnson  came  next  and 
/  was  placed  at  Camp  Lusitania  with  the  Rev. 
Leroy  Ferguson.  Then  came  Mrs.  Curtis,  who 
joined  Mr.  Stevenson  at  Camp  Montoir.  It  was 
thus  that  the  first  three  canteen  workers  were  placed 
for  all  the  period  of  the  war  and  many  weeks 
thereafter. 

The  St.  Nazaire  area,  more  than  any  other  in 
all  France  at  that  time,  warmly  welcomed  and 
gave  opportunity  to  the  colored  Y  secretaries  to 
demonstrate  their  spirit  and  ability  to  serve  their 
own  soldiers.  Indeed,  it  seemed  rather  provi- 
dentially planned  to  give  colored  women  a  first 
real  chance.  There  were  two  reasons  for  this  op- 
portunity given  them.  First  of  all  the  broad,  prac- 
tical Christian  spirit  of  the  Divisional  Secretary, 
Mr.  W.  S.  Wallace,  and  second  the  attitude  of  our 
own  Y  men  in  charge  of  the  huts.  Mr.  Wallace 

139 


TWO    COLORED    WOMEN    WITH    THE    A.    E.    F. 

was  not  only  an  executive  of  rare  Christian  cour- 
age, but  his  attitude  and  opinions  commanded  the 
respect  of  those  under  his  supervision.  He  dealt 
with  the  colored  men  and  women  of  his  area  in  the 
same  fine  manner  and  spirit  that  he  dealt  with  all 
others.  We  shall  always  remember  him  among 
those  fine  spirits  of  his  race  that  hold  our  faith 
for  the  ultimate  triumph  of  the  brotherhood  of 
man. 

The  second  contributing  cause  for  whatever  of 
success  the  women  came  to  have  was  in  the  per- 
sonnel of  the  men  with  whom  they  worked.  For, 
however  fine  might  be  the  Divisional  Secretary  or 
no  matter  how  far-visioned  and  energetic  the 
woman  herself  might  be,  she  could  hardly  render 
efficient  service  unless  she  had  the  sympathetic 
co-operation  of  her  hut  secretary. 

The  writer  was  most  fortunate  in  doing  her  first 
work  with  Mr.  John  C.  Wright.  It  was  a  rare  priv- 
ilege that  gave  us  four  months  of  most  enthusiastic 
service  under  the  direction  of  this  Christian  gentle- 
man. He  was  one  of  the  few  men  who  really 
desired  a  woman  in  his  hut,  so  that  in  our  first 
four  months  of  service  we  were  able  to  plan  and 
accomplish  something  really  constructive  for  the 
seven  thousand  permanent  colored  troops  of  our 
camp,  and  to  help  the  regiments  that  spent  a  few 
weeks  with  us  as  they  prepared  for  the  front. 
With  him  we  tried  to  study  and  comprehend  the 
needs  and  desires  of  the  soldiers,  "our  boys,"  as 
we  usually  called  them,  and  to  meet  these  needs 
and  desires  in  the  very  best  way  possible. 

140 


TWO    COLORED    WOMEN    WITH    THE    A.    E.    F. 

Over  the  canteen  in  France  was  essentially  dif- 
ferent from  the  same  thing  in  the  United  States 
where  friendships  and  home  ties  had  not  yet  been 
really  severed  and  war  was  still  thousands  of  miles 
from  the  camp.  In  France,  war,  with  its  mystery 
of  pain  and  suffering,  was  over  all.  Everywhere 
were  evidence  of  its  mutilation  and  destruction  of 
life  and  home.  Everywhere  there  was  exhausting 
work  and  deep  loneliness.  In  the  most  joyous  hour 
in  the  Y  hut  we  knew  that  there  was  a  nervous- 
ness, a  tenseness,  a  deep  undercurrent  of  serious- 
ness that  could  be  found  only  in  an  environment 
of  death  and  desolation. 

Over  the  canteen  in  France  friendships  and  con- 
fidences ripened  quickly  because  of  the  loneliness 
of  men — because  of  the  haunting  and  yearning 
memories  of  their  women-folk  at  home.  A  glass 
of  lemonade  or  a  cup  of  chocolate  offered  with  a 
sympathetic  touch  was  usually  sufficient  to  break 
down  all  barriers  and  make  way  for  the  usual 
question,  "Where  are  you  from"?  This  answered, 
a  like  question  asked  and  the  acquaintance  was 
established.  Always  there  was  real  happiness  if 
one  could  from  somewhere  in  the  memory  resur- 
rect a  mutual  friend  in  one  of  these  home  towns. 
Then  came  quickly  talks  of  family  and  life  in  the 
States.  We  learned  to  anticipate  that  from  some 
pocket  in  the  jacket — usually  the  one  nearest  the 
heart — would  be  drawn  forth  a  wallet  or  a  much 
worn  envelope.  From  it  photographs  would  come 
forth.  Sometimes  it  would  be  the  "best  mother," 
again  the  "dearest  wife,"  and  still  again  the  "finest 

141 


TWO    COLORED    WOMEN    WITH    THE    A.    E.    F. 

girl"  or  "cutest  kid"  that  a  fellow  ever  had.  The 
families  or  the  girls  would  become  visualized  for 
us,  and  after  that  we  would  ask  about  them  as  if 
they  were  old  friends. 

Over  the  canteen  in  France,  the  woman  became 
a  trusted  guardian  of  that  home  back  in  America. 
To  her  were  revealed  its  joys  and  sorrows.  Be- 
cause of  that  same  loneliness — that  loss  of  back- 
ground— the  soldier  poured  out  to  the  canteen 
worker  his  deepest  and  dearest  memories  and 
dreams.  She  must  be  ever  ready  to  laugh  with 
him,  but  she  must  also  be  ready  to  go  down  into 
heart-breaking  valley  with  her  soldier  boy  when 
he  would  get  a  bad  bit  of  news — a  mother,  father, 
sister  or  even  a  wife  or  child  might  have  been  taken 
away;  or,  worse  still,  once  in  a  great  while  the 
tragedy  of  faithlessness  was  made  known  to  him. 
But  by  far,  the  letters  from  home  were  cheerful  to 
have  come  straight  from  hearts  of  women  tense  with 
longing  and  anxiety.  Oh,  the  pride  of  a  new  father! 
How  well  we  remember  a  young  "top"  sergeant 
whom  we  had  thought  of  as  a  mere  boy.  He 
walked  up  to  the  canteen  one  evening  with  the 
request  that  we  send  a  cable  home  for  him.  He 
wrote  the  following:  "Congratulations  on  birth 
of  Spencer  Roberts,  Junior,  and  love  to  mother." 
Saying  to  us,  "No  matter  about  the  cost,  I  want  to 
send  it  all."  How  full  of  love  were  his  eyes  as 
he  showed  us  the  girl-face  of  that  wife,  and  we 
could  only  say  "How  perfectly  wonderful  for  the 
boy  when  he  grows  up!  He  will  know  that  his 

142 


SOLDIERS  IN  FRANCE 


TWO    COLORED    WOMEN    WITH    THE    A.    E.    F. 

father  was  in  France  at  the  time  of  his  birth — a 
soldier  in  the  world's  greatest  war." 

When  we  established  the  first  wet  canteen  in  the 
St.  Nazaire  area  for  our  own  men,  we  were  think- 
ing of  the  real  comfort  of  it  to  the  men.  We  de- 
liberately planned  to  make  our  chocolate  so  good 
that  they  would  really  come  for  it  and  our  lemon- 
ade real  lemonade,  and  crullers  that  would  "taste 
just  like  home."  But  we  could  not  even  dream 
of  all  that  it  would  mean  in  cheer,  comradeship 
and  good  will.  It  was  pathetic  to  see  long  lines 
of  men  patiently  waiting  for  a  cup  of  chocolate 
and  a  cookie — to  find  many  coming  from  distant 
camps  not  alone  for  the  refreshments,  but  for  the 
good  cheer  they  found  with  us.  It  was  a  picture 
that  would  have  touched  the  hearts  of  the  home- 
folk — these  men  sitting  around  on  the  window-seats 
or  at  the  tables,  hundreds  of  them — quietly  talk- 
ing and  sipping  their  drink.  And  the  Y  woman 
would  leave  her  post  behind  the  canteen  for  a  little 
and  wander  from  table  to  table  for  a  word,  or 
she  would  drink  a  cup  of  chocolate  with  a  little 
group  while  they  talked  of  farming,  opening  a 
store  or  returning  to  college  after  the  war.  It 
was  so  little  and  yet  it  was  so  much  in  that  every- 
day life  of  war — war  so  terrible — so  long. 

Over  the  canteen  in  France  meant  not  simply  the 
eat  and  drink  of  it  when  rightly  interpreted.  It 
meant  that  we  must  not  rely  alone  on  the  "Movies" 
and  entertainments  sent  from  Headquarters  to  the 
soldiers — but  we  must  supply  games,  entertain- 
ments of  our  own  and  even  parties.  One  party — 

10  143 


TWO    COLORED    WOMEN    WITH    THE    A.    E.    F. 

our  first — was  only  time  in  France  we  believe,  in 
which  we  showed  the  "yellow  streak."  It  was  to 
be  a  beautiful  party  in  spite  of  the  fact  that  but 
two  women  would  be  present.  Two  days  had  been 
spent  in  decorating  the  hut  and  stringing  extra 
lights.  Our  hut  secretary  suggested  that  we  put 
aside  our  uniform  for  an  evening  gown  and  lead 
the  grand  march,  to  which  we  most  enthusiastically 
assented.  But  we  were  hardly  prepared  for  the 
sight  that  met  our  eyes  as  we  entered  the  outer 
hut.  There  were  men  crowded  in  every  space  even 
to  the  rafters — more  men  than  we  had  ever  seen  in 
any  one  room.  It  was  no  use.  We  just  could  not 
get  the  courage  needed  to  lead  a  march,  and  so  we 
quietly  sat  down  and  looked  on  that  night.  How 
we  used  to  wish  for  our  home  girls  in  those  days! 
Oh,  if  we  could  have  had  some  of  the  fine  ones 
we  knew  at  home  to  help  in  those  little  social 
affairs!  As  we  think  of  this  first  party,  we  recall 
the  last  more  than  a  year  later  in  the  embarkation 
camp  at  Brest.  Not  seven  thousand  men  this  time, 
but  probably  three  hundred,  and  nine  women  to 
dance  with  them.  We  held  the  watch  and  there 
would  be  a  pause  in  the  music  at  intervals  of  three 
minutes.  That  meant  "change  partners."  The 
best  part  of  that  evening  was  the  fun  of  securing 
a  partner  without  a  real  rush  upon  her.  Then,  too, 
hearts  were  lighter  by  far  than  at  that  first  party, 
for  the  war  had  ended,  and  the  soldiers  were  simply 
waiting  for  the  transports  that  would  take  them 
home. 

With  the  co-operation  of  our  splendid  hut  secre- 

144 


TWO    COLORED    WOMEN    WITH    THE    A.    E.    F. 

tary,  Mr.  J.  C.  Wright,  we  had  fitted  out  the  first 
reading  and  reception  room  for  the  soldiers  in  our 
area.  Other  rooms  had  been  open  to  them,  but 
this  was  open  for  them  and  others.  It  was  there 
that  our  men  loved  best  to  go  in  the  twilight  and 
evening  hour.  How  quickly  they  learned  to  feel 
that  it  was  worth  while  to  look  spick  and  span  for 
such  a  cozy  spot.  It  was  because  of  this  lovely 
room  with  its  magazines,  books,  comfortable  seats, 
beautiful  plants,  flowers,  and  cheerful  fire  that 
many  men  could  endure  the  months  in  which 
"passes"  to  leave  camp  could  not  be  secured.  "We 
should  worry  when  we  have  a  place  like  this," 
was  a  remark  often  heard  in  those  days  as  they 
quietly  discussed  this  special  grievance.  But  this 
room  became  best  known  for  its  Chat  Hour  that 
came  to  fill  it  to  overflow  on  Sundays  at  the  twi- 
light hour.  Somehow  it  came  to  us  that  this  was 
a  lonely  time  for  men.  Sunday,  just  after  supper — 
away  from  home  and  no  special  place  to  go.  So 
we  discussed  it  with  some  of  the  men  and  began 
with  just  informal  talks  on  current  topics — apart 
from  the  war  or  army.  The  interest  grew.  Men 
were  there  from  Howard,  Union,  Hampton,  Tuske- 
gee,  Morehouse,  Atlanta,  Clark,  and  other  schools, 
so  we  had  talks  about  their  institutions  and  their 
founders.  We  had  talks  on  race  leaders,  on  work 
after  the  war — music,  art,  religion  and  every  con- 
ceivable subject.  We  instituted  a  question  box  that 
was  generally  opened  in  fear  and  trembling,  for 
one  could  never  be  quite  sure  of  the  questions.  It 
might  be,  "When  will  you  make  us  some  fudge?" 

145 


TWO    COLORED    WOMEN    WITH    THE    A.    E.    F. 

or  it  might  be,  "Which  is  the  greatest  science?"  A 
question  like  the  first  we  would  answer,  while  one 
like  the  second  would  be  respectfully  deferred 
to  the  hut  secretary  or  chaplain.  A  cup  of  tea 
or  chocolate  with  a  wafer  would  give  the  social 
side  to  the  hour.  It  was  so  much  better  than 
most  lyceums  and  forums  we  have  known  here 
at  home,  because  somehow  it  was,  as  most 
things  were  over  there,  so  much  more  full  of 
human  warmth.  This  little  Chat  Hour  started  in 
a  simple  way  at  Hut  Five,  St.  Nazaire,  remains 
one  of  its  most  precious  memories,  and  was 
adopted  in  many  other  places.  When  the  soldiers, 
who  were  for  so  many  months  a  part  of  that  hut, 
were  sent  to  Camp  Lusitania,  they  carried  the 
Chat  Hour  with  them,  and  it  was  there  one  of  the 
finest  features  of  that  great  camp  as  it  continued  to 
be  at  Hut  Five  even  after  many  changes  had  been 
made. 

Over  the  canteen  in  France  meant  much  letter 
writing  and  the  wrapping  and  sending  home  little 
presents  that  had  been  approved  by  the  company 
commanders.  At  Christmas  tide,  this  involved 
many  hours  of  work,  as  it  did  always  at  embarka- 
tion time.  Frequently  the  Y  woman  must  go 
shopping  for  her  boys  to  buy  not  only  the  pres- 
ents sent  home,  but  also  the  little  necessities  that  the 
canteen  and  commissary  of  the  camp  did  not  have. 

How  can  the  picture  of  Christmas  in  camp  ever 
fade  away?  The  Y.  M.  C.  A.  was  a  most  generous 
Santa  Claus  in  its  wonderful  trees,  decorations  and 
presents.  The  hut  was  full  of  good  cheer,  but  it 

146 


TWO    COLORED    WOMEN    WITH    THE    A.    E.    F. 

was  also  full  of  memories,  and  men  talked  of  other 
Christmastides  back  home.  More  than  one  fellow 
found  it  made  him  just  too  homesick  to  look  upon 
the  lighted  Christmas  tree,  and  yet  he  wanted  it 
there — wanted  that  link  with  his  own  fireside.  He 
was  glad  of  the  lights,  of  the  music  and  the  romping 
Santa  who  distributed  the  presents. 

Then  came  the  French  school  children — several 
hundreds  of  them,  with  their  teachers,  brought  out 
in  army  trucks  to  be  the  guests  of  the  camp.  How 
their  eyes  filled  with  joyful  wonder  at  the  big  glit- 
tering American  tree!  How  they  laughed  and 
clapped  as  the  men  played,  danced,  and  sang  for 
them!  Then  they  listened  in  wrapt  silence  as  a 
Red  Cross  lady  told  them  in  French  about  the 
American  Christmas  and  its  wonderful  Santa 
Claus.  With  the  native  grace  peculiar  to  the 
French  child  they  received  the  presents  handed 
them  by  the  soldiers,  but  not  trying  to  conceal  their 
perfect  ecstasy  over  them  or  their  bon-bons.  How 
lovely  is  that  fine  child  courtesy  of  the  Old  World! 

Somehow  one  found  time  for  a  great  many 
things  in  camp,  and  so  between  the  Christmas  tree 
and  canteen,  we  had  prepared  a  real  Christmas 
dinner  for  the  Y  men  and  the  soldiers  who  helped 
with  the  canteen.  But  the  dinner  was  too  much  for 
one  of  the  soldiers,  and  he  carefully  put  it  all  aside 
till  later.  The  memory  of  the  past  Christmas  was 
too  vivid,  when  he  had  just  arrived  in  France,  and 
had  only  the  cold  ground  for  a  bed  and  cold  beans 
and  hard  tack  to  eat.  Before  the  beginning  of 
the  evening's  activities,  the  hut  was  quiet  for  an 

147 


TWO    COLORED    WOMEN    WITH    THE    A.    E.    F. 

hour,  and  we  sat  in  the  firelight's  glow  for  a 
moment  of  personal  thought,  on  that  wonderful 
Christmas  day!  So  far  were  we  from  home 
and  friends,  yet  far  keener  in  human  understand- 
ing and  sympathy  than  ever  before.  In  so  many 
thousand  American  homes  there  could  be  no  Christ- 
mas joy  that  day,  only  the  memory  of  the  dead 
lying  somewhere  on  the  cold  bleak  Western  Front. 
What  could  the  Christ  Child  signify  at  such  a  time? 
Perhaps  there  in  the  camp  one  could  comprehend 
better  than  in  America  that  through  mighty  travail 
was  being  born  to  the  world  a  New  Day  in  which 
men  would  be  conscious  of  their  worth,  assured 
of  their  liberty,  and  learn  that  right  after  all 
is  might. 

Over  the  canteen  in  France  included  not  only  a 
cozy  reading  room  and  the  selection  of  books  for 
the  men  to  read,  but  it  meant  also,  reading  to  them 
or  with  them  in  leisure  moments.  One  must  help, 
too,  in  educational  work.  Our  first  visit  to  Camp 
Lueitania  was  spent  teaching  a  class  in  English. 
Then  came  the  Y  woman  to  that  camp,  who  gave  a 
greater  impetus  to  study  there  than  had  hitherto 
been  known.  She  would  spend  hours  guiding  with 
her  own  small,  fair  hand,  those  of  the  men  who 
for  the  first  time  were  eager  with  desire  to  write 
their  own  names.  It  was  thus,  then,  these  women 
worked  in  the  St.  Nazaire  area — at  Camp  Lusitania 
with  its  emphasis  on  educational  activities;  at 
Camp  Montoir,  where  the  excellence  of  the  can- 
teen became  far-famed,  and  at  Camp  One  with  its 
joyous,  homelike  atmosphere. 

148 


TWO    COLORED    WOMEN    WITH    THE    A.    E.    F. 

After  four  months,  a  change  came  over  the  camp- 
life  of  the  area.  Mr.  Wright  returned  to  America 
to  take  part  in  the  great  drive  for  funds.  The 
seven  thousand  stevedores  and  labor  battalions 
that  we  had  served  with  so  much  joy  for  four 
months,  were  divided  between  Camps  Lusitania 
and  Montoir.  We  saw  with  proud  but  sad  heart 
the  807th  march  toward  the  Front.  From  the  con- 
stant noise  of  many  feet  and  voices,  we  found  our 
hut  reduced  to  an  unbearable  stillness  and  isolation. 
The  camp  was  now  to  become  exclusively  an  em- 
barkation and  debarkation  center.  For  two  days 
we  were  in  danger  of  a  good  hard  spell  of  home- 
sickness and  then  came  the  news  that  there  were 
transports  in  the  harbor — colored  soldiers  were 
coming — heaps  of  them! 

We  were  never  quite  so  glad  to  see  any  soldiers 
as  we  were  the  809th  Pioneer  Infantry,  and  the 
33  Lieutenants  of  the  Artillery  who  arrived  that 
Monday  morning  in  October.  We  met  them  first 
as  they  rested  on  the  beautiful  ocean  boulevard 
of  St.  Nazaire.  Life  flowed  into  us  once  again  as 
we  flitted  among  them  welcoming  them  to  our  camp 
and  hot  chocolate.  Even  then,  many  of  them 
looked  very  worn  and  ill,  but  we  hardly  dreamed 
of  the  tragedy  of  that  October  transport.  We  were 
on  our  way  that  morning  to  the  weekly  Y  Con- 
ference with  its  inspirational  and  helpful  program 
that,  no  doubt,  was  a  large  factor  in  the  success 
of  the  area.  But  the  conference  seemed  very  long, 
so  anxious  were  we  to  get  to  camp.  We  requested 
at  headquarters  special  transportation  to  speed  our 

149 


TWO    COLORED    WOMEN    WITH    THE    A.    E.    F. 

errands  and  hurry  us  to  work.  Soon  we  are  in 
our  hut — it  is  crowded — men  are  everywhere  and 
we  look  over  the  crowd  and  wonder  what  has  hap- 
pened. These  are  not  the  swarthy  lads  we  were 
welcoming  on  the  ocean  front — only  here  and 
there  do  we  see  one.  We  are  still  wondering  when 
a  voice  close  at  hand  says,  "Lady,  got  any  paper 
and  envelopes?"  "Certainly,"  we  say,  and  then 
we  begin  to  meet  the  first  need  of  the  soldiers. 
Meantime,  we  are  saying,  "No,  no  stamps  neces- 
sary— turn  your  letter  over  to  your  company  com- 
mander to  be  censored."  "Oh,  yes — three-cent 
stamp  if  your  folks  are  in  Italy."  Later  we  learn 
that  many  of  our  own  boys  have  been  sent  to 
another  camp,  and  that  most  of  those  in  our  camp 
are  in  a  distant  part.  We  learn  something  else — 
influenza  is  raging — hundreds  of  men  have  died 
on  the  voyage — the  hospitals  are  crowded,  so  are 
the  barracks.  Sick  men  could  hardly  be  left  in 
"pup"  tents  in  the  deep  mud  and  constant  rain  of 
that  season.  That  night  another  change  comes  over 
our  hut.  On  all  the  benches,  in  all  the  corners  and 
in  what  had  been  our  cheerful  reading  room  are 
sick  men,  many  of  them  ill  unto  death.  We  are 
not  only  preparing  hot  chocolate  now,  but  all  day 
long  we  are  preparing  lemons,  so  that  at  night  we 
may  pass  among  these  men  with  hot  lemonade.  It 
is  a  sad  time — graves  can  hardly  be  dug  rapidly 
enough — nurses  are  scarce — every  one  is  doing  the 
best  he  knows.  True,  these  are  not  colored  boys 
we  are  serving,  but  what  matters  that — they  are 
soldiers  all,  and  every  lad  of  them  a  mother's  son. 

150 


TWO    COLORED    WOMEN    WITH    THE    A.    E.    F. 

We  go  to  the  hospital  and  move  among  them.  They 
can  only  see  the  smile  in  our  eyes,  for  we  wear  the 
white  masque  across  our  faces.  To  the  convales- 
cent we  give  cigarettes,  literature,  gum,  and  now 
and  then  candy.  For  the  very  ill  we  leave  oranges 
or  lemons.  For  some  there  is  little  need  to  leave 
anything  but  a  prayer. 

The  following  is  an  extract  from  a  letter  received 
from  a  soldier  with  reference  to  that  period,  "It 
was  in  St.  Nazaire  at  Base  101,  that  I  was  desper- 
ately sick  with  'Flu'  in  October,  1918.  Mr.  Davis, 
whom  I  had  known  at  Evansville,  came  through 
my  ward.  Next  day  you  and  Miss  Johnson  came 
with  oranges  and  that  most  prized  thing  in  all  the 
world  at  that  time — lemons.  Oh,  how  good  you 
did  look  to  me!  Then,  too,  how  kind  you  folk 
were  when  I  rejoined  my  outfit  at  Camp  One.  My 
mind  recalls  that  Sunday  evening  'Quiet  Hour' 
you  held,  while  we  were  there.  How  you  spoke 
to  the  boys  and  urged  them  to  keep  themselves 
clean  for  the  sake  of  the  good  women  back  home. 
Then  when  you  asked  us  to  talk — what  man  could 
have  kept  still."  The  plague  passed,  and  many  a 
man  was  laid  to  rest  having  done  his  bit  to  the 
utmost,  though  it  simply  meant  breaking  home  ties 
and  reaching  the  port  of  France.  After  the  plague 
had  spent  itself,  we  marched  one  day  with  a  long 
line  to  the  American  Cemetery,  a  mile  distant  from 
the  town.  There,  while  the  day  was  dying,  a  Red 
Cross  Chaplain  told  impressively  the  challenge 
flung  to  us  by  those  white  crosses  upon  which  we 
looked,  and  that  had  come  so  suddenly  into  our 

151 


TWO    COLORED    WOMEN    WITH    THE    A.    E.    F. 

little  part  of  that  death-ridden  country.  The 
French  people  brought  flowers,  the  Red  Cross  and 
Y  secretaries  sang,  the  band  played  "America," 
the  trumpeter  sounded  "Taps,"  the  guns  rang 
out  for  the  dead  and  then  we  left  them  alone  in 
their  glory. 

The  sixteen  Y  women  who  came  to  France  in 
the  spring  of  1919  worked  much  as  the  first  three 
women  had,  except  that  they  were  able  to  go  out  by 
twos.  The  first  three  women  had  always  been  in 
different  camps,  each  a  lone  woman  in  her  hut. 
There  might  be  a  dozen  Y  women  in  her  camp — 
but  she  worked  absolutely  alone,  often  her  hours 
stretching  from  9  in  the  morning  to  9  at  night 
— but  always  it  was  a  work  of  love.  When  the 
sixteen  women  arrived,  they  brought  in  them- 
selves companionship,  not  only  for  the  soldiers  but 
for  the  women  already  over  there.  Five  of  them 
went  to  the  Leave  Area.  Dr.  N.  Fairfax  Brown, 
Mrs.  Childs  and  Mrs.  Williamson  joined  Mrs.  Cur- 
tis at  Chambery  and  Misses  Evans  and  Thomas  with 
Miss  Johnson,  who  had  been  at  St.  Nazaire,  joined 
Mrs.  Hunton  at  Challes-les-Eaux.  Mrs.  Williams 
and  Mrs.  Craigwell  succeeded  Miss  Johnson  at  St. 
Nazaire,  while  Misses  Bruce  and  Carbon  went  to 
Marseilles.  First  Misses  Rochon,  Edwards  and 
Phelps  found  place  with  that  splendid  secretary, 
Mr.  Sadler,  in  the  Chaumont  Area.  Misses  Saurez 
and  Turner  went  to  Le  Mans.  The  soldiers 
had  seen  every  variety  of  entertainer  sent  to 
France.  They  had  heard  some  of  the  very  best 
of  American  and  foreign  pianists,  but  none  had 

152 


TWO    COLORED    WOMEN    WITH    THE    A.    E.    F. 

received  the  ovation  from  the  colored  soldiers  that 
was  given  Miss  Helen  Hagan,  the  only  colored 
artist  sent  to  France.  Everywhere  she  was  received 
by  tremendous  crowds  of  men  with  rapturous  ap- 
plause, and  her  wonderful  talent  was  never  put 
to  better  use  nor  more  deeply  appreciated.  The 
last  woman  to  arrive  for  overseas  work  was  Mrs. 
Mary  V.  Talbert,  President  of  the  National  Associa- 
tion of  Colored  Women.  We  felt  deeply  honored  hi 
having  her  a  member  of  our  overseas  group.  With 
Misses  Rbchon  and  Edwards,  Mrs.  Talbert  joined 
Mrs.  Curtis,  who  had  succeeded  Mrs.  Hunton  at 
Romagne.  There  she  won  the  hearts  of  the  soldiers 
completely.  They  gave  her  a  purse  of  $1,000  for 
the  Frederick  Douglass  Home  at  Anacostia,  which 
through  Mrs.  Talbert's  untiring  efforts,  has  been 
made  a  national  memorial  for  colored  Americans. 
Many  changes  were  made  by  the  Y  women  in 
that  last  lap  of  the  work.  This  was  caused  by  the 
rapid  closing  of  the  various  areas  and  the  depart- 
ure of  the  men  for  the  ports.  With  the  close  of 
the  Leave  Area  Mrs.  Curtis  went  to  Romagne. 
Miss  Thomas  and  Mrs.  Williamson  were  sent  to  Bel- 
leau  Woods,  near  Chateau  Thierry.  It  was  not 
lovely  like  the  Leave  Area,  but  living  in  tents,  they 
served  the  lonely  fellows  who  were  making  the 
cemetery  there.  Their  Y  hut  was  only  a  large 
tent,  but  it  was  beautiful  inside  the  day  we  saw  it 
with  plants  and  wild  flowers  in  profusion  and 
with  one  corner  equipped  as  a  library.  On  one 
side  was  the  canteen  with  its  ice-cold  lemonade 
and  macaroons.  How  proud  the  men  were  of  it 

153 


TWO    COLORED    WOMEN    WITH    THE    A.    E.    F. 

all  and  how  they  worshipped  those  women!  For 
the  women  it  was  the  biggest  work  they  had  ever 
done. 

To  Joinville  went  Dr.  Brown  and  Mrs.  Childs, 
to  serve  for  many,  many  weeks  the  806th  Pioneer 
Infantry  and  others  who  were  building  the  Pershing 
Stadium.  For  their  splendid  work  there,  the  men 
sang  their  praises  without  stint. 

General  Pershing  in  commending  the  splendid 
service  rendered  by  the  Y.  M.  C.  A.  in  the  Leave 
Area,  especially  commends  the  work  of  the  women. 
While  always  there  was  competent  French  help  and 
splendid  men  secretaries  came  to  help  in  the  Leave 
Area,  for  four  months  almost,  Mrs.  Curtis  and 
Mrs.  Hunton  felt  not  only  the  responsibility  of  pro- 
viding the  meals  served  in  the  two  areas,  but  the 
beautifying  and  housekeeping  of  the  buildings  and 
constant  entertainment  of  the  men.  Over  the  can- 
teen in  the  Leave  Area  was  something  more  than 
the  jolly  vacation  that  we  worked  to  make  it — it 
was  a  time  for  bracing  the  morale  of  the  men  and 
sending  them  back  to  camp  with  hope  and  cheer, 
vision  and  strength. 

Misses  Rochon  and  Edwards  in  the  Chaumont 
Area  and  Miss  Evans  in  the  Le  Mans  Area  did  what 
was  known  as  rolling  canteen  service  for  the  men. 
We  have  heard  the  men  tell  of  the  first  time  these 
"angels"  appeared  in  their  isolated  camps.  It  was 
difficult  to  believe  their  eyes — that  American 
women  of  their  own  had  sought  them  out  in  those 
far-off  lonely  places,  and  were  actually  bringing 

154 


A.    Men    in   Class   Room.      B.   A   Group  of   Canteen   Workers   en   route 

Home.     C.   Serving  at  the  Wet  Canteen.     D.  "Our  Boys."     E.  More  of 

"Our  Boys"  at  Brest. 


TWO    COLORED    WOMEN    WITH    THE    A.    E.    F. 

them  good,  hot  chocolate  and  other  heavenly  bless- 
ings, but  best  of  all  the  sunshine  of  their  smiles. 

No  woman  who  went  to  France  won  stronger 
approbation  for  her  work  than  did  Miss  Saurez. 
When  a  prize  had  been  offered  at  Le  Mans  for  the 
most  homelike  and  best  kept  hut,  it  was  this  little 
colored  Y  lady  who  won  it. 

Over  the  canteen  at  Brest  meant  hut  activity 
from  early  morning  till  midnight.  It  was  a  part 
of  what  came  to  be  known  as  the  "Battle  of  Brest," 
which  Miss  Watson,  the  Regional  Secretary,  de- 
clared "Ofttimes  more  terrible  than  that  of  'No 
Man's  Land'  because  less  open."  Every  minute 
almost  meant  keeping  men  free  from  the  despair 
of  long  waiting  and  hope  deferred.  Eight  regi- 
ments of  Pioneer  Infantries,  three  labor  battalions, 
many  groups  of  casuals  and  several  depot  com- 
panies were  among  those  whom  we  bade  bon 
voyage  during  our  days  at  Ponlanezen.  Here,  as 
at  St.  Nazaire,  the  huts  were  crowded  and  the  can- 
teen lines  unending.  Men  made  "seconds,"  as  an 
additional  helping  was  called,  but  rarely  unless 
they  were  fortunate  enough  to  slip  into  other  men's 
places.  Those  were  busy  but  happy  days  at  Brest! 
The  men  were  not  strange,  for  we  had  met  them  in 
the  Leave  Area  or  along  the  devastated  highways. 
We  closed  our  work  there  so  happy  that  nothing 
could  take  away  the  joy  of  it. 

Over  the  canteen  in  France  we  learned  to  know 
our  own  men  as  we  had  not  known  them  before, 
and  this  knowledge  makes  large  our  faith  in  them. 
Because  they  talked  first  and  talked  last  of  their 

155 


TWO    COLORED    WOMEN    WITH    THE    A.    E.    F. 

women  back  home,  usually  with  a  glory  upon  their 
faces,  we  learned  to  know  that  colored  men  loved 
their  own  women  as  they  could  love  no  other 
women  in  all  the  world.  Their  attitude  of  deep 
respect,  often  bordering  on  worship,  toward  the 
colored  women  who  went  to  France  to  serve  them 
only  deepened  this  impression.  The  least  man 
in  camp  assumed  the  right  to  protect  his  women, 
and  never,  by  word  or  deed,  did  they  put  to  shame 
the  high  calling  of  these  women.  But  they  were 
intensely  human  and  their  longing  for  their  women 
showed  itself  in  a  hundred  different  ways.  One 
night  a  Red  Cross  parade  on  Fifth  Avenue,  New 
York  City,  was  being  passed  on  the  screen.  When 
a  group  of  colored  women  were  shown  marching, 
the  men  went  wild.  They  did  not  want  that  par- 
ticular scene  to  pass  and  many  approached  and 
fondled  the  screen  with  the  remark,  "Just  look  at 
them."  Mrs.  Curtis,  in  whose  hut  this  occurred, 
tells  how  it  brought  tears  to  her  eyes.  One  man 
came  to  us  saying,  "Lady,  do  you  want  to  get  rich 
over  in  France?"  We  gave  an  affirmative  reply 
and  questioned  how.  He  said,  "Just  get  a  tent  and 
go  in  there  and  charge  five  cents  a  peep.  These 
fellows  would  just  be  glad  for  even  a  peep  at  you." 
Another  man  stood  near  the  canteen  one  day,  but 
not  in  line.  He  stood  so  quietly  and  so  long  that 
we  finally  asked  could  we  serve  him.  He  simply 
gave  a  negative  shake  of  the  head.  After  several 
minutes  we  said,  "Surely  you  desire  something," 
only  to  be  met  by  another  shake  of  the  head.  The 
third  time  we  inquired  he  said  quietly,  "Lady,  I 

156 


TWO    COLORED    WOMEN    WITH    THE    A.    E.    F. 

just  want  to  look  at  you,  if  you  charge  anything 
for  it  I'll  pay  you — it  takes  me  back  home." 
Hundreds  of  incidents  gave  evidence  of  the  love  of 
these  men  for  their  women.  Sometimes  they  shed 
tears  at  their  first  sight  of  a  colored  woman  in 
France. 

We  learned  somewhat  of  their  matchless  power 
of  endurance  and  of  their  grim  determination  to  be 
steady  and  strong  to  the  end  in  spite  of  all  odds. 
We  came  to  know,  too,  that  what  was  often  taken 
for  ignorance,  was  a  deep  and  far-thinking  silence. 
They  were  sympathetic  and  generous,  often  willing 
to  risk  the  supreme  sacrifice  for  a  "buddie."  The 
chocolate  might  be  too  thin  or  too  thick,  but  there 
was  little  complaint.  On  a  cold  day  or  after  a 
hard  hike  it  was  just  "hot-stuff"  gratefully  re- 
ceived. 

We  learned  to  know  that  there  was  being  de- 
veloped in  France  a  racial  consciousness  and  racial 
strength  that  could  not  have  been  gained  in  a  half 
century  of  normal  living  in  America.  Over  the 
canteen  in  France  we  learned  to  know  that  our 
young  manhood  was  the  natural  and  rightful  guar- 
dian of  our  struggling  race.  Learning  all  this  and 
more,  we  also  learned  to  love  our  men  better  than 
ever  before. 


157 


PEACE 

Peace  on  a  thousand  hills  and  dales 

Peace  in  the  hearts  of  men 
While  kindliness  reclaims  the  soil 

Where  bitterness  has  been. 

The  night  of  strife  is  drifting  past, 
The  storm  of  shell  has  ceased, 

Disrupted  is  the  cordon  fell, 
Sweet  charity  released. 

Forth  from  the  shadow,  swift  we  come 
Wrought  in  the  flame  together, 

All  men  as  one  beneath  the  sun 
In  brotherhood  forever. 

GEORGIA  DOUGLAS  JOHNSON. 


158 


The  Leave  Area 


IT  was  a  master  mind  that  first  conceived  the  idea 
of  sending  tired  soldiers  away  from  the  shat- 
tered havoc  of  war  and  the  incessant  routine  of 
camp  life,  to  find  rest  and  recreation.  The  most 
beautiful  and  historic  places  in  France,  left  un- 
touched by  battle's  fire,  were  selected  and  opened 
as  Leave  Areas.  Had  the  Young  Men's  Christian 
Association  done  no  other  bit  for  the  American 
Expeditionary  Forces  except  equip  and  maintain 
these  Leave  Areas,  it  still  would  have  done 
a  colossal  piece  of  work,  fully  justifying  its 
operations  in  France.  It  was  a  work  for  which 
thousands  and  thousands  of  soldiers  are  deeply 
grateful.  Whatever  criticism  or  prejudice  rela- 
tive to  the  Young  Men's  Christian  Association 
was  in  the  minds  of  the  soldiers  as  they  entered  the 
Leave  Area,  they  went  away  its  most  enthusiastic 
supporters.  There,  more  than  anywhere  else  in 
France,  perhaps,  they  had  opportunity  to  see  below 
the  sordid  and  selfish  spirits  of  individuals  who 
might  unfortunately  represent  it,  to  the  heart  of 
the  Association  itself.  They  could  realize  there 
that  the  fundamental  principles  of  the  organization 
were  right,  no  matter  how  poorly  interpreted 
through  its  workers. 

The  first  of  these  Leave  Areas  to  be  opened  was 
at    Aix-les-Bains    in    the    region    of    the    Savoie. 
Savoie  itself  is  one  of  the  most  pleasantly  pastoral 
11  159 


TWO    COLORED    WOMEN    WITH    THE    A.    E.    F. 

spots  in  Europe.  The  country  with  its  rugged 
mountains  often  snow-clad;  its  quiet  little  river- 
villages  everywhere;  its  Old  World  customs,  origi- 
nal and  unique,  suggested  peace  and  rest.  It  was 
so  near  many  of  the  interesting  things  that  men 
had  read  about  in  history  and  geography,  but 
never,  for  the  most  part,  expected  to  see — so  full 
of  historic  associations  and  traditions  that  one 
could  forget  for  the  time  the  dead  cities,  villages, 
and  men  strewn  over  other  parts  of  France.  Savoie 
is  wonderfully  exhilarating  with  its  mountain  air, 
beautiful  lakes  and  medicinal  waters  of  world- 
wide fame.  Everywhere  the  eyes  roamed,  they 
rested  upon  mountains.  There  were  the  Swiss 
Alps  just  forty  miles  to  the  East,  the  Italian  Alps 
the  same  distance  toward  the  South,  and  the  French 
Alps  close  at  hand  in  every  direction.  Even  before 
men  left  the  trains  or  "side-door  Pullmans,"  as 
they  nicknamed  the  freight  cars  in  which  they  so 
often  rode,  they  were  filled  with  the  wonder  and 
charm  of  the  country  into  which  they  had  come. 
For  the  first  time  they  were  finding  the  real  France, 
and  it  was  life-giving  after  dwelling  for  so  many 
months  in  those  parts  that  were  filled  with  evidences 
of  the  enemy's  unspeakable  crimes. 

It  was  in  this  region  that  the  first  Leave  Area 
was  opened  for  American  soldiers  in  February  of 
1918.  From  that  time  until  June,  1919,  from  five 
to  six  thousand  soldiers  came  each  week  for  an 
ideal  vacation.  So  successful  was  this  Leave  Area 
region  that  others  were  opened  at  Nice,  and  many 
other  beautiful  places  of  Southern  France. 

160 


TWO    COLORED    WOMEN    WITH    THE    A.    E.    F. 

It  was  at  Christmas  time  of  1918  that  the  Paris 
Headquarters  of  the  Y  telegraphed  Mr.  Wallace, 
the  Regional  Secretary  of  the  St.  Nazaire  Area, 
asking  for  the  loan  of  Mrs.  Curtis  and  Mrs.  Hunton 
for  six  weeks.  They  were  needed  to  open  two 
Leave  Areas  for  colored  soldiers.  One  of  the 
demands  of  war  on  welfare  workers  as  well  as 
soldiers,  was  that  they  be  ready  to  "pack  up  roll" 
and  move  on  short  notice.  So  that  after  seven 
months  of  service  at  the  port,  they  were  to  be 
moved.  Mrs.  Hunton  desired  to  go,  because  for 
many  weeks  she  had  been  serving  white  soldiers 
almost  exclusively.  They  treated  her  with  great 
respect  and  helped  her  to  prepare  and  serve  as 
colored  boys  had  done.  As  they  marched  away 
from  camp,  they  sang  for  her,  cheered  for  her 
chocolate  and  crullers  and  left  little  tokens  of 
affection,  and  while  she  had  served  them  with  a 
warm  and  willing  heart,  always  she  would  be  think- 
ing, there  are  only  three  colored  women  in  France 
for  all  the  colored  soldiers,  and  one  of  them  serv- 
ing white  soldiers.  She  communicated  her  feel- 
ings to  the  understanding  spirit  who  at  that  time 
headed  the  Women's  Department  of  the  Y  work 
in  France,  and  was  told  to  stick  to  her  post  and  a 
change  would  be  made  as  soon  as  possible.  But 
when  the  time  really  came,  it  was  not  so  easy  to 
go.  It  meant  leaving  the  thousands  of  men  whom 
she  had  served  those  first  months,  and  with  whom 
she  had  kept  in  constant  touch  although  they 
were  in  the  other  camps  of  the  area.  There 

161 


TWO    COLORED    WOMEN    WITH    THE    A.    E.    F. 

was  the  lovely  French  family — Monsieur  et  ma- 
dame,  les  deux  tantes,  la  chat  blanc  et  le  bon 
jardin — with  whom  she  had  lived  for  seven 
months.  She  had  been  worshipped  into  feeling 
a  part  of  all  their  charming  life.  But  both 
Y  women  reported  to  Paris  .and  were  ordered 
to  Aix-les-Bains  for  assignment.  There  Mrs.  Curtis 
was  sent  to  Chambery  and  Mrs.  Hunton  to  Challes- 
les-Eaux.  These  places  had  been  in  operation 
since  the  preceding  summer.  Colored  troops  had 
already  visited  there,  but  now  they  were  to  be  sent 
in  larger  numbers  and  those  two  resorts  were  to 
be  used  exclusively  for  them.  In  the  meantime, 
Messrs.  Stevenson  and  Sadler  were  also  asked  to 
report.  Mr.  Stevenson  was  assigned  to  the  Challes- 
les-Eaux  Casino,  but  Mr.  Sadler  was  unable  to  get 
release  from  the  Chaumont  region  where  he  had  so 
long  directed  a  large  and  important  work.  When 
we  first  reached  the  Leave  Area,  and  for  several 
weeks  thereafter,  it  was  still  occupied  by  white 
troops.  In  January  of  1918,  with  Mr.  William 
Stevenson  as  Director  and  Mrs.  Hunton,  Directress, 
at  Challes-les-Eaux,  and  Mrs.  Curtis,  Directress  at 
Chambery,  a  new  epoch  for  the  colored  soldiers 
on  leave  began.  There,  as  in  other  places,  the 
colored  women  served  alone,  endeavoring  to  do  the 
work  that  had  occupied  a  large  staff  of  white 
women  secretaries.  From  time  to  time  men 
arrived  to  help  with  the  work  until  there  was  a  staff 
of  five  men  at  each  place.  But  in  the  Leave  Area, 
more  than  any  other  place,  much  of  the  work  was 

162 


1.  The  Village  of  Myans  with  Mt.  Granier.  2.  Dinner  on  the  Grounds 
at  Challes-les-Eaux.  3.  Mr.  Stevenson  and  Mrs.  Hunton  with  Staff,  at 
Challes-les-Eaux.  4.  The  Chateau  of  the  Dukes  of  Savoie  at  Chambery. 


TWO    COLORED    WOMEN    WITH    THE   A.    E.    F. 

that  for  which  women  are  peculiarly  fitted.  The 
Chateau  or  Casino  must  be  kept  clean  and  sweet, 
with  cheerful  decorations;  appetizing  menus  ar- 
ranged; American  dishes  made  familiar  to  French 
help  and  prompt  service  given;  teas,  parties 
and  hikes  planned  and  still  they  must  have  lots 
of  time  left  in  which  the  men  could  talk  to  them. 
But  for  nearly  four  months  these  two  women 
worked  alone,  each  in  her  building,  until  finally 
other  women  arrived  and  shared  the  service.  Each 
week  from  January  until  late  May,  a  thousand 
to  twelve  hundred  colored  troops  reached  the 
Savoie  Leave  Area,  ano$  were  divided  between 
Chambery  and  Challes-les-Eaux.  The  men  lived 
in  the  many  surrounding  hotels,  but  found  the 
largest  part  of  their  life  and  entertainment  with 
the  Young  Men's  Christian  Association. 

A  brief  description  of  Savoie,  with  its  leave 
centers,  will  no  doubt  be  interesting,  because  in 
most  instances,  it  was  the  one  bright  spot  in  the 
soldier's  whole  "overseas"  life,  and  because  so 
much  of  his  pleasure  there  was  derived  from  the 
natural  beauty  of  the  country. 

Savoie,  like  Alsace-Lorraine,  has  been  a  pawn 
in  the  hands  of  contending  peoples  many  times  in 
its  history.  From  French  to  Italian  and  from 
Italian  to  French  again — back  and  forth — it  has 
passed  as  the  fortunes  of  war  have  dictated.  With 
the  division  of  the  great  empire  of  Charlemagne, 
Savoie  fell  into  Italian  hands.  It  went  to  General 

163 


TWO    COLORED    WOMEN    WITH    THE    A.    E.    F. 

Berold  of  Saxe  in  1008  and  at  that  time  was  laid 
the  foundation  for  the  royalty  that  has  come  down 
through  the  centuries  as  the  House  of  Savoie,  and 
of  which  the  present  King  of  Italy  is  a  member. 
Since  the  Treaty  of  Turin  in  1860,  Savoie  has  been 
a  part  of  France.  This  frequent  change  of  govern- 
ment has  produced  a  peculiar  blending  of  French 
and  Italian  in  architecture  and  life,  and  adds 
greatly  to  the  charm  of  the  region. 

Aix-les-Bains,  not  only  the  most  important  town 
of  the  area,  but  one  of  the  most  famous  health  re- 
sorts of  the  world,  is  a  striking  example  of  this 
blending.  French  chateaux  on  the  mountain  sides 
and  Italian  villas  by  the  lake,  give  it  a  charming 
setting.  In  the  city  itself  one  is  carried  back  many 
centuries  by  its  Arch  of  Campanus,  old  Roman 
Baths,  Temple  of  Diana,  Museum  and  the  Grottoes. 

This  Arch  of  Campanus  is  believed  to  date  to 
the  third  century  A.  D.  Older  still  are  the  Roman 
Baths  that  are  supposed  to  have  been  built  one 
hundred  and  twenty-four  years  before  Christ. 
This  was  always  one  of  the  most  interesting  places 
to  the  soldiers  on  leave.  There  one  sees  remains 
of  the  not  very  ancient  methods  of  these  ancient 
Romans  for  bathing,  and  even  the  remains  of  a 
large  swimming  pool.  Nothing  is  more  interesting 
in  Aix-les-Bains  than  its  Temple  of  Diana,  built 
probably  about  the  same  time  as  the  Roman  Baths 
and  in  which  is  housed  the  museum.  The  founda- 
tion walls  of  this  temple  are  more  than  twelve 
feet  thick,  and  the  stones  are  of  enormous  size. 

164 


TWO    COLORED    WOMEN    WITH    THE    A.    E.    F. 

In  one  corner  of  this  old  Greek  temple  is  inserted 
a  Gothic  window  of  interest  because  of  its  delicate 
beauty  and  purity  of  style,  but  not  a  part  of  the 
original  architecture.  The  Grottoes,  with  the  three 
springs  that  have  defied  union,  are  always  a  source 
of  wonder.  There  are  to  be  found  hot  alum,  hot 
sulphur  and  cold  water  springs  turning  out  over 
two  million  gallons  of  water  each  day.  With 
lighted  candles  one  follows  the  many  windings  and 
descents  of  the  flowing  waters.  It  is  very  hot  but 
very  interesting.  One  sees  the  place  where  some 
engineers,  two  of  whom  were  killed,  made  an  in- 
effectual effort  to  unite  the  waters  of  these  springs. 

From  things  ancient,  we  come  to  look  at  those 
more  modern.  There  are  the  thermal  establish- 
ments that  have  made  Aix-les-Bains  world  famous 
as  a  health  resort.  We  are  told  that  this  city, 
with  a  native  population  of  less  than  ten  thousand, 
always  had  within  its  boundary  prior  to  the  war, 
about  thirty  thousand  visitors.  The  sedan  chairs 
in  which  the  visitors  rode  about  the  city  are  as 
numerous  as  those  that  are  moved  up  and  down 
the  board-walk  at  Atlantic  City.  Many  Americans 
frequent  Aix-les-Bains,  and  the  soldiers  were 
always  shown  the  chair  and  bathing  apartments 
reserved  for  Mr.  J.  Pierpont  Morgan. 

At  Aix-les-Bains  the  Young  Men's  Christian  As- 
sociation had  its  activities  in  the  Casino — one  of 
the  most  luxurious  and  spacious  places  of  amuse- 
ment on  the  Continent.  With  a  beautiful  garden  on 
one  side  and  an  imposing  entrance  on  the  other, 

165 


TWO    COLORED    WOMEN    WITH    THE    A.    E.    F. 

this  Grand  Cercle,  as  it  is  called,  was  the  Monte 
Carlo  of  France  until  the  war  came.  It  has  a  fine 
theatre,  seating  a  thousand  people;  a  sumptuous 
ball-room,  grand  salon  and  many  other  rooms, 
beautiful  with  their  mosaics,  rich  carvings  and 
stained  glass  windows.  All  of  these  were  put  to 
use  for  the  entertainment  of  the  soldiers. 

Chambery  is  hardly  less  interesting  than  Aix- 
les-Bains.  Surrounded  by  mountains,  with  the 
cross  on  Nivolet  dominating  all  the  rest,  with  its 
quaint  stores,  streets  and  houses,  it  is  indeed  pic- 
turesque. One  follows  the  rue  de  Boigne  with  its 
old  arcades  and  beautiful  stores  from  the  Fontaine 
des  Elephants  up  to  the  Chateau  des  Dues  de 
Savoie.  It  is  an  imposing  structure  with  its  monu- 
ment to  Joseph  and  Xavier  de  Maistre  on  the  stair- 
way. The  finest  part  of  this  chateau  is  its  chapel 
with  its  remarkable  Gothic  architecture,  ancient 
windows  and  fine  paintings.  Just  across  from  this 
chateau  was  the  Y,  a  charming  building,  beauti- 
fully furnished  and  always  lively  with  music  and 
good  cheer.  One  delighted  in  looking  on  the  sol- 
diers sitting  by  the  open  fire  in  its  large,  but  home- 
like salon.  Chambery  has  interesting  churches  and 
parks.  Perhaps  the  most  interesting  thing  con- 
nected with  this  town  is  the  fact  that  for  so  long  it 
was  the  home  of  Jean  Jacques  Rousseau.  In  what 
Americans  would  call  the  suburbs  of  Chambery, 
we  find  the  home  of  this  much  persecuted  poet- 
philosopher.  It  is  called  "The  Charmettes"  and  is 
carefully  preserved  with  its  original  furnishings. 

166 


:L__U 

1.  Secretarial    Group    at    Challes-les-Eaux.      2.  The    Lady    of    Myans — 

"Black   Madonna."     3.  The   Elephants  at   Chambery.     4.  The   Cross  on 

Mt.  Nevolet.     5.  Statue  Jean  Jacques  Rousseau  at  Chambery. 


TWO    COLORED    WOMEN    WITH    THE    A.    E.    F. 

At  the  entrance  is  a  French  inscription  which  may 
be  translated  as  follows: 

"Hovel  by  Jean- Jacques  inhabited. 

You  remind  me  of  his  genius. 
His  solitude,  his  proudness 

And  his  misfortunes  and  his  folly. 
To  Glory  and  Truth 

He  dared  to  consecrate  his  life, 
And  was  always  persecuted 

Either  by  himself  or  by  envy." 

A  word  about  the  Fountain  of  Elephants  because 
for  the  Americans  it  was  the  center  of  the  town. 
This  large  white  monument  with  four  life-size 
bronze  elephants  surrounding  it,  is  most  imposing, 
the  more  so  because  there  is  continually  pouring 
from  the  mouths  of  these  elephants,  streams  of 
water.  This  unique  monument  is  in  honor  of  a 
noted  benefactor  of  the  town — Count  de  Boigne — 
who  spent  many  years  in  the  Far  East.  There  by 
the  fountain  the  little  steam  tram  usually  put  off 
or  took  on  its  largest  number  of  passengers.  There 
the  American  bands  played  and  the  French  folk 
gathered  about  them.  One  would  usually  say, 
"Meet  me  at  the  Elephants." 

It  was  at  the  Elephants  that  we  took  the  tiny 
tram  for  Challes-les-Eaux,  about  three  miles 
away.  The  Thermal  Establishment  was  inaugu- 
rated at  Challes-les-Eaux  in  1876,  and  from  that 
time  it  was  a  popular  resort  for  not  only  were  the 
waters  wonderful  for  baths,  but  were  valuable  for 
drink,  pulverization,  inhalation  and  gargling.  One 

167 


TWO    COLORED    WOMEN    WITH    THE    A.    E.    F. 

who  ever  became  brave  enough  to  taste  them  could 
verily  believe  in  all  their  virtues.  In  addition  to 
its  many  beautiful  hotels,  generally  clinging  to 
hillsides,  it  had  its  Casino,  too,  with  restaurant, 
ball-room,  billiard  tables,  reading  and  gaming 
rooms.  It  was  here  that  General  Joffre  rested  after 
the  Marne.  It  was  this  Casino  and  the  five  Thermal 
Establishments  in  the  midst  of  spacious  grounds, 
that  were  taken  over  for  the  Y  and  to  which  now 
so  many  happy  memories  cling.  Here  as  at  Aix- 
les-Bains,  the  Thermal  Establishments  were  used 
by  the  soldiers  through  the  morning  till  noon,  free 
of  all  charge  to  them.  What  a  luxury  they  were  to 
the  tired  soldier  who  for  a  long  time  had  known 
only  the  bathing  facilities  of  a  camp.  Challes-les- 
Eaux  was  admirably  located  for  excursions  of  his- 
torical and  scenic  interest,  affording  real  whole- 
some rest  and  recreation. 

As  has  been  already  emphasized  elsewhere,  the 
work  of  the  Y  folk  in  the  Leave  Area  was  to  see 
that  the  eight  days  afforded  the  soldiers  there, 
should  be  days  full  of  beautiful  recreation  with  as 
little  of  the  atmosphere  of  camp-life  as  possible. 
There  was  no  "reveille"  and  no  "taps."  No  one 
blew  whistles  to  attract  attention.  Men  ate  out 
of  porcelain  dishes  and  slept  on  real  beds  with  soft 
pillows.  Often  men  declared  that  they  had  become 
so  accustomed  to  the  army  bunks  that  they  were 
forced  at  first,  each  night,  to  rest  a  little  while  on 
the  floor. 

An  extract  from  a  report  of  Mr.  William  Steven- 
son to  the  Commanding  Colonel  of  the  Area  will 

168 


TWO    COLORED    WOMEN    WITH    THE    A,    E.    F. 

give  some  idea  as  to  the  nature  and  scope  of  the 
Y  activities  in  the  Leave  Area: 

"On  the  17th  of  January,  1919,  Mrs.  W.  A.  Hunton 
and  myself  took  charge  of  the  Casino  here  and  began 
the  work  which,  formerly  for  white  soldiers,  had  been 
carried  on  by  four  women  and  two  men  secretaries. 
When  we  started,  we  were  given  the  assistance  of  one 
white  (man)  secretary.  With  his  help,  we  carried  on  the 
work  until  the  30th  of  February  when  we  received  an- 
other colored  secretary — at  that  time  the  white  secretary 
who  had  been  assisting  us,  was  relieved.  We  then  had 
three  secretaries,  including  myself.  March  5th  we  re- 
ceived another  man  and  March  25th  two  more  came. 
April  6th  another  women  came  and  April  26th,  two  more 
women.  However,  Mrs.  Hunton  who  had  started  the 
work  with  me  left  the  first  of  May  for  Verdun  and  Mr. 
Bullock  who  had  arrived  February  30th,  left  April  16th 
to  go  to  America.  At  the  close  of  our  work,  May  24th, 
we  had  seven  secretaries — four  men  and  three  women." 

"Our  building  was  opened  each  morning  at  8:45.  A 
twenty-minute  religious  service  began  at  9  A.M.  and  this 
was  known  as  'Start  the  Day  Right  Service.'  Breakfast 
then  began  and  was  served  till  about  noon.  This  meal 
consisted  of  one  of  the  following  meats:  sausage,  ham, 
or  chops,  eggs,  pancakes  with  molasses  and  butter,  hot 
biscuits,  crullers  and  chocolate  or  coffee.  All  of  this  was 
sold  at  cost.  Refreshments — ice  cream,  pies,  pudding, 
cakes  and  crullers  with  chocolate  or  lemonade  were  on 
sale  afternoons  from  four  until  about  5:30.  Free  refresh- 
ments were  served  three  times  a  week  at  night  and  al- 
ways to  entertainers  and  educators,  whether  from  the 
army  or  the  Young  Men's  Christian  Association.  A  re- 
ception with  free  refreshments  was  always  tendered  out- 
going troops.  At  many  of  these  we  served  more  than  a 
hundred  men.  During  each  of  these  receptions  a  strong 
moral  or  patriotic  talk  was  made  by  some  of  the  secre- 

169 


TWO    COLORED    WOMEN    WITH    THE    A.    E.    F. 

taries,  and  I  have  seen  men  go  away  with  tears  in  their 
eyes.  A  special  lunch,  at  the  cost  of  one  franc  was  put 
up  for  outgoing  men,  but  men  without  money  were  often 
furnished  a  lunch  just  the  same  as  others.  Every  Sunday 
afternoon  at  four  o'clock  we  served  free  tea  and  cake 
assisted  by  the  French  ladies  of  the  village,  who  kindly 
volunteered  their  services.  This  afternoon  tea,  during 
which  there  was  violin  and  piano  music,  was  always 
crowded  by  the  men." 

Athletics.  Every  morning  from  ten  until  twelve,  ath- 
letic exercises,  indoors  or  outdoors  (according  to  the 
weather)  were  conducted  and  very  liberally  patronized. 
Baseball,  Y  ball,  volley  ball  and  tennis  were  very 
popular;  the  three  billiard  tables  were  always  kept  busy. 
Saturday  was  given  to  athletics;  that  is,  the  full  day. 
However,  men  desiring  to  go  to  the  Black  Madonna,  Mt. 
St.  Michael  or  the  Cascades  were  always  accommodated. 

Excursions,  Hikes,  etc.  The  following  trips  were  taken : 
Sunday,  hike  to  the  Black  Madonna;  about  an  hour  and 
forty  minutes  round  trip.  Monday,  trip  to  Cat  Mountain 
and  Hannibal's  Pass,  by  tram  and  on  foot;  about  three 
hours'  hike.  All  day  trip.  Tuesday,  trip  to  Aix-les- 
Bains  and  Mt.  Revard;  all-day  trip,  tram  and  railroad. 
Wednesday,  Black  Madonna.  Thursday,  hike  to  the  Cas- 
cades of  Doria,  about  same  distance  as  Black  Madonna. 
Friday,  trip  to  Lake  Bourget  and  Hautecombe  Abbey;  all 
day  trip  by  tram  and  boat.  These  excursions,  hikes,  etc., 
proved  to  ?>e  of  great  value  in  an  educational  way.  The 
men  were  not  only  anxious  to  get  the  Aix-les-Bains  Sou- 
venir, which  explained  the  various  places  and  things  but 
a  great  many  took  notes. 

Amusements,  etc.  A  band  concert  was  given  two  to 
three  times  each  week  in  the  afternoon  in  the  garden, 
and  on  the  nights  of  the  same  days  a  band  concert  and 
vaudeville.  Entertainments — vaudeville,  etc.,  sent  by  the 
Y,  at  the  beginning  twice  a  week;  later,  during  May, 

170 


IN  THE  LEAVE  AREA 

1.   By  an  old   Chapel.     2.  En  route  to  Hautecombe  Abbey.     3.   Playing 

Billiards.     4.  On   the  train   for  Hannibal's  Pass.      5.  On   the   Grounds  at 

Challes-les-Eaux. 


TWO    COLORED    WOMEN    WITH    THE    A.    E.    F. 

by  the  Army  and  the  Y,  two  to  five  times  each  week. 
Movies,  four  to  six  times  each  week. 

Religious,  etc.  Service  every  Sunday  morning  at 
eleven  o'clock  which  a  secretary,  sent  from  Aix-les-Bains, 
conducted.  Also  a  service  every  Sunday  evening  at 
eight  o'clock,  which  was  conducted  by  the  Chaplain. 

Educational,  etc.  A  speaker  was  sent  from  Aix-les- 
Bains  once  a  week,  who  delivered  a  talk,  illustrated  or 
otherwise  on  something  of  educational  value.  Also  talks 
on  patriotism,  thrift,  clean-living,  etc.,  were  given  by  one 
of  our  secretaries  to  all  outgoing  troops,  and  each  night 
notice  of  the  activities  of  the  week  were  given,  during 
which  hints  on  clean  living,  conduct,  etc.,  were  given. 

Reception  to  Civilians.  On  March  12th  a  reception 
was  given  the  civilians  of  Challes-les-Eaux.  This  was 
held  in  the  open  and  the  Mayor,  by  pre-arrangement, 
made  an  address  to  the  soldiers  and  civilians,  responses 
to  which  were  made  by  Mrs.  Hunton  and  your  humble 
servant,  all  of  which  were  interpreted.  On  this  day  a 
band  concert  was  rendered  by  the  803rd  Pioneer  Infantry 
Band,  and  the  school  children,  who  were  brought  in  a 
body  by  their  teachers,  were  served  refreshments. 

Photographs.  Probably  five  thousand  francs'  worth  of 
photographs  of  the  soldiers  in  various  places  and  poses, 
were  taken  by  special  arrangement  with  as  many  as  three 
photographers.  All  photographs  were  sold  at  cost  and 
the  demand  always  exceeded  the  supply. 

Transportation.  In  order  to  prevent  the  men  from 
arising  at  an  unnecessarily  early  hour  and  for  the  purpose 
of  always  getting  them  back  in  time  for  the  evening  meal 
we  chartered  special  trams,  the  cost  of  which  amounted 
to  between  three  and  four  thousand  francs.  This  ar- 
rangement, which  was  put  into  effect  in  March,  enabled 
us  to  move  when  we  desired. 

171 


TWO    COLORED    WOMEN    WITH    THE    A.    E.    F. 

Food,  etc.  Besides  the  secretaries,  we  had  about 
thirteen  French  people,  in  the  kitchen,  etc.,  among  them 
being  a  chef,  whose  special  duty  was  to  prepare  pastries, 
ice  cream,  etc. 

Literature.  We  had  two  racks  made  in  which  liter- 
ature— pamphlets,  etc.,  were  daily  displayed.  These  were 
of  a  religious,  moral,  patriotic  nature  and  were  very 
popular.  Outgoing  men  were  furnished  with  free  read- 
ing matter — magazines,  etc. 

Information,  etc.  We  had  a  lady  at  the  information 
desk,  and  a  lady  in  the  coat  room  sewed  on  buttons  and 
made  minor  repairs  for  the  men. 

All  trams  bearing  new  men  were  met  by  one  of  the 
secretaries,  who  sought  out  the  non-commissioned  officers 
or  men  in  charge,  introduced  them  to  all  the  secretaries, 
and  extended,  through  them,  a  hearty  welcome  to  all  their 
men. 

Every  day  when  new  men  came  in  the  hotels  were 
visited  at  supper  time  and  announcements  of  the  week's 
program  made  while  the  men  were  eating. 

Conduct,  etc.  It  was  an  exceedingly  rare  thing  to 
hear  any  of  the  men  use  immoral  or  profane  language 
in  the  building.  We  co-operated  with  the  military  police 
in  every  way  possible,  even  requesting  the  Mayor  to 
rid  the  village  of  some  immoral  women.  The  military 
police  reported  that  they  had  very  little  trouble  with 
our  men,  and  the  Mayor's  letter,  together  with  others 
from  the  various  hotel-keepers,  etc.,  is  strong  evidence 
of  the  truth  of  their  statement. 

Conferences.  Our  ability  to  do  the  work  we  did  was 
due  largely  to  the  fact  that  every  day  at  noon  we  held 
a  conference  with  all  the  secretaries,  each  of  which  began 
with  scripture  reading  and  prayer. 

Just  here  it  might  be  interesting  to  read  a  trans- 
lation of  one  of  the  letters  written  by  the  Mayor  of 

172 


TWO    COLORED    WOMEN    WITH    THE    A.    E.    F. 

Challes-les-Eaux,  with  reference  to  colored  sol- 
diers on  leave  there.  After  four  wonderful  months 
in  the  Leave  Area,  where  we  came  to  know  every 
variety  of  colored  soldier  in  France,  we  were  sent 
to  the  devastated  area  that  had  been  the  front. 
Just  as  we  were  leaving,  a  messenger  met  us 
at  the  tram  and  handed  us  a  letter  that  was  so 
unexpected  as  to  surprise  us,  but  of  which  we 
were  tremendously  proud.  It  is  impossible  to 
reveal  the  real  spirit  of  this  letter  in  a  translation, 
but  this  letter,  similar  to  one  given  to  Mr.  Steven- 
son, expresses  the  feeling  of  the  French  people 
for  our  men  as  they  lived  in  their  hotels  and  moved 
in  their  midst.  The  following  is  the  letter  trans- 
lated into  English: 

The  Mayor  of  Challes-les-Eaux,  Savaie,  to 
the  Lady  Directress  of  the  Y.  M.  C.  A. 

Madame:  In  the  name  of  the  population  of  Challes- 
les-Eaux  I  thank  you  very  much  for  the  pleasure  at  your 
many  entertainments.  Give  thanks  to  your  very  good 
amateur  artists. 

You  have  won  the  admiration  of  the  population  for 
the  care  that  you  have  not  ceased  to  give  these  black 
soldiers,  who  are  wonderful  children,  with  generous 
hearts,  a  spirit  of  good  comradeship,  possessing  also  a 
French  trait — that  of  loving  and  making  themselves  be- 
loved. 

Touched  by  the  welcome  which  is  given  them,  their 
hearts  are  wounded  because  they  cannot  fraternize  with 
their  white  comrades  as  they  do  with  us,  and  they  regret 
not  to  be  able  to  express  to  us  more  than  a  promise  to 
return  to  France,  the  country  of  fraternity. 

173 


TWO    COLORED    WOMEN    WITH    THE    A.    E.    F. 

We  retain  the  best  memories  of  their  sojourn  with 
us,  where  no  incident  has  occurred  to  mar  our  relations. 
We  are  pleased  with  their  good  record. 

We  ask  you  to  convey  the  greetings  of  the  people 
of  Challes-les-Eaux  to  their  dear  families  and  beg  that 
they  will  accept  our  fondest  regard  and  our  sympathetic 
felicitations. 

I  wish  to  render  to  Madame  Directress  my  perfect  ap- 
preciation. PERROLIFE,  Mayor. 
April  27, 1919. 

Always  the  French  were  kind,  courteous  and 
understanding  and  expressed  again  and  again  their 
admiration  and  sympathy  for  our  soldiers. 

Two  or  three  of  the  hikes  taken  by  our  men  were 
so  full  of  historic  interest  as  to  be  worthy  of  a 
brief  description.  None  afforded  quite  so  much 
fun  as  that  to  Mt.  Revard.  Breakfast  at  seven  and 
an  eight  o'clock  start  on  the  little  steam  tram  to 
Chambery  was  the  order.  At  Chambery  the  train 
was  taken  for  Aix-les-Bains.  There  a  half  day  was 
given  to  seeing  the  places  of  interest  already  de- 
scribed, and  for  lunch.  At  12.30  all  assembled  at 
the  Mt.  Revard  station  to  ascend  on  the  cog  railway. 
Any  description  of  the  ever-changing  and  widen- 
ing view  of  the  ascent  fails  in  its  attempt  to  give  a 
real  idea  of  the  beauty,  splendor  or  majesty  of 
the  scenery  as  they  in  turn  reveal  themselves.  More 
than  five  thousand  feet  the  train  climbs,  stopping 
for  a  moment  at  two  stations  where  the  natives  sell 
apples  and  give  away  smiles  and  good  cheer. 

On  the  top  the  whole  snow-clad  Alpine  system  is 
in  view.  One  sees  the  whole  Bernese  Oberland  sys- 

174 


IN  THE  LEAVE  AREA 

1.  Serving    Literature.      2.  On    the    Veranda.      3.  At    Play.      4.  In    the 
Library.     5.  At  the  Cascades  after  a  Hike. 


TWO    COLORED    WOMEN    WITH    THE    A,    E.    F. 

tern  and  Mt.  Blanc,  almost  fifty  miles  away,  seems 
but  a  good  hike  distant  on  a  clear  day.  But  the 
real  fun  comes  with  the  coasting,  skiing  and  other 
snow  sports — for  Mt.  Revard  is  snow  clad  most  of 
the  year.  The  train  descends  steeply  at  many 
places,  but  it  has  been  a  rare  day  that  men  will 
recount  to  their  children  and  grand-children,  so 
no  one  seems  afraid.  "Overseas"  songs  in  joyful 
strain  fill  the  echoing  caves  and  crevices  and  float 
out  on  the  lake  as  the  day  closes  and  the  train 
returns  them  to  Aix-les-Bains. 

Lake  Bourget,  the  largest  and  most  beautiful  of 
French  lakes,  offered  another  happy  day.  First, 
by  train  to  Bordeau  or  to  Aix-les-Bains,  thence  by 
boat  out  on  Lake  Bourget.  We  ride  across  its 
shimmering  surface  and  fathomless  depth;  moun- 
tains surround  it  on  all  sides  and  are  reflected  in 
all  their  glory  on  the  lovely  water  of  this  lake.  We 
are  told  that  although  it  is  in  the  region  of  snow 
and  ice  it  never  freezes,  because  of  an  undercurrent 
or  springs  of  hot  water.  On  the  mountain 
sides,  no  matter  how  steep,  one  sees  vineyards 
— vineyards  almost  everywhere.  Chateaux  or 
villas  lend  added  charm  to  the  scene.  Among  these 
one  sees  one  called  the  Maison  du  Diable — house 
of  the  devil — with  a  strange  tradition  attached  to 
it.  One  sees  also  the  Hotel  du  Bois  di  Lamartine — 
so  named  because  it  is  located  in  a  grove  named 
for  the  poet  Lamartine.  It  was  there  he  found 
inspiration  for  many  of  his  poems,  including  "Le 
Lac."  The  Chateau  St.  Gilles  and  the  Chateau 
Chatillon,  in  which  one  of  the  popes  of  Rome  was 

12  175 


TWO    COLORED    WOMEN    WITH    THE    A.    E.    F. 

born  are  also  to  be  seen.  But  the  dominating  archi- 
tecture of  Lake  Bourget  is  Hautecombe  Abbey, 
with  its  octagonal  towers  and  many  windows  toward 
which  our  steamer  makes  its  way. 

Hautecombe  Abbey  was  founded  in  1125  by 
some  Benedictine  monks  who,  inspired  by  Saint 
Bernard  of  Clairvaux,  decided  to  change  to  the 
Cistercian  Order.  The  Abbey  has,  with  the  rest  of 
Savoie,  seen  many  vicissitudes  as  a  result  of  wars, 
but  for  nearly  seven  hundred  years  it  remained 
in  the  hands  of  the  Cistercians.  When  the  French 
Revolution  came,  the  monks  fled  and  the  Abbey 
passed  into  the  hands  of  the  nation  for  a  time. 
Through  all  the  preceding  centuries  it  had  been 
the  burial  place  for  the  House  of  Savoie.  Finally, 
in  1824,  it  was  bought  at  private  expense  by 
Charles  Felix,  Duke  of  Savoie,  who  was  also  King 
of  Sardinia.  He  at  once  proceeded  to  have  restored 
this  burial  place  of  his  ancestors  and  to  put  in 
charge  again  some  monks  of  the  Cistercian  Order. 
Again,  in  1860,  the  Abbey  went  into  the  hands  of 
France,  but  by  special  treaty  in  1862,  it  was  made 
the  private  property  of  Victor  Emmanuel  II  and 
is  now  the  property  of  the  present  King  of  Italy. 

The  most  historic  part  of  the  Abbey  is  the  beau- 
tiful Gothic  church.  Many  chapels  with  massive 
tombs  of  Italian  royalty  are  to  be  found.  Some 
of  them  are  of  the  finest  Carrara  marble  as  is  also 
the  beautiful  Pieta,  by  Cacciatori.  The  dome  is 
decorated  with  paintings  of  great  interest  and 
value.  There  is  a  wonderful  hand  carved  organ 
and  paintings  by  famous  artists  over  the  chancel. 

176 


TWO    COLORED    WOMEN    WITH    THE    A.    E.    F. 

In  every  little  niche  may  be  seen  little  statues  of 
weeping  women,  some  five  hundred  of  them  and 
all  different.  Much  history,  tradition  and  mys- 
tery link  themselves  to  all  that  one  sees  in  the 
church. 

Next  is  shown  a  Royal  Suite  that  was  fitted  up 
in  1825  for  Charles  Felix  and  Marie  Christine. 
Everything  is  well  preserved.  Visitors,  and  espe- 
cially women,  are  not  admitted  to  the  part  of  the 
Monastery  occupied  by  the  monks.  Each  time  we 
made  this  trip,  we  were  somehow  moved  by  the 
sight  of  hundreds  of  khaki-clad  soldiers  making 
their  way  quietly  through  this  old  Abbey. 

Every  schoolboy  has  heard  how  Hannibal 
crossed  the  Alps,  so  that  a  day's  outing  to  Hanni- 
bal's Pass,  although  it  involved  much  hiking,  was 
always  a  popular  one.  The  men  would  go  by  tram 
again  to  the  little  fishing  village  of  Bordeau  on  Lake 
Bourget,  then  ascend  the  Cat  Mountain  to  a  pass 
that  opens  into  the  valley  of  the  Rhone.  Standing 
among  these  wonderful  Alps  a  Y  man  would 
repeat  the  story  of  the  hero  of  Carthage  who,  more 
than  two  centuries  before  the  birth  of  Christ,  had 
climbed  with  his  army  to  this  Pass  and  then  de- 
scended into  Italy.  He  would  tell  how  he  suffered 
great  loss  of  men  and  much  hardship  but  how  he 
was  a  determined  foe  of  the  Romans  and  so  fought 
them  unto  death. 

Our  own  favorite  hike  was  that  which  took  us 
southward  from  Challes-les-Eaux,  along  the  main 
road  with  the  mountains  on  either  side  and  in  front 
of  us — past  the  ruins  of  a  picturesque  chapel, 

177 


TWO    COLORED    WOMEN    WITH    THE    A.    E.    F. 

destroyed  by  Napoleon  Bonaparte  when  he,  too, 
crossed  the  Alps;  up  the  hill  to  the  little  village  of 
Myans  resting  at  the  foot  of  Mount  Granier.  For 
all  of  the  four  miles  from  Challes-les-Eaux  to 
Myans,  the  life  one  looks  upon  seems  to  have 
moved  not  one  pace  forward  for  many  centuries. 
Ancient  customs  in  life  and  houses  make  up  the 
picture  and  yet  withal  one  finds  a  charming  hos- 
pitality native  to  these  people  so  far  removed  from 
the  hurry  and  fret  of  life.  But  we  hiked  those  four 
miles  to  visit  the  Church  of  Myans  with  its  Black 
Madonna  that  has  reposed  there  for  so  many  cen- 
turies, and  has  become  a  famous  place  of  pilgrim- 
age for  many  French  people.  Much  of  tradition 
and  history  wraps  itself  around  the  Black 
Madonna.  Many  years  ago  a  landslide  came  to 
this  section.  One  looks  up  and  sees  how  absolutely 
bare  it  has  left  one  side  of  Mt.  Granier.  We  are 
told  that  the  landslide  destroyed  everything  except 
the  church — even  a  part  of  it  was  destroyed,  but 
the  Black  Madonna  and  the  praying  monks  at  its 
altar  were  not  hurt.  This  Madonna  that  in  all 
probability  came  from  Spain,  is  one  of  the  few  of 
its  kind  saved  in  the  general  destruction  of  the 
Black  Madonnas  as  ordered  by  Napoleon.  The 
Virgin  and  child  are  life  size  and  wrought  out  of 
black  ebony.  Her  robe  is  of  gold  and  on  her  head 
is  a  crown  in  which  are  embedded  priceless  jewels. 
She  is  very  sacred  to  the  villagers  and  to  all  of 
Catholic  faith.  One  finds  there  many  photographs 
and  relics  left  by  pilgrims  who  have  come  for 
healing.  But  the  chief  interest  to  us  lay  in  the 

178 


TWO    COLORED    WOMEN    WITH    THE    A.    E.    F. 

finely  chiseled  black  faces  of  mother  and  child  to 
whom  so  many  devoutly  kneel. 

Eight  days  filled  with  hikes,  such  as  we  have 
described,  games,  entertainments  of  various  kinds 
and  music  always  at  hand,  were  usually  sufficient 
to  re-invigorate  the  soldier  and  send  him  away  glad 
and  grateful  for  abundant  life,  lovely  nature  and 
warm-hearted  friends.  The  Y  folk  worked  hard 
to  strike  a  high  note  for  the  future  of  these  soldiers 
by  teaching  them  how  to  rightly  interpret  and  use 
their  wonderful  "overseas"  experience. 

Just  here  may  we  say  that  with  both  Mrs.  Curtis 
and  Mrs.  Hunton  were  associated  the  finest  types 
of  Y  men  to  be  found  in  France.  Mr.  William 
Stevenson,  who  had  done  such  valuable  work  at 
Montoir,  brought  to  the  Leave  Area,  all  his  fine 
ideals,  which,  with  his  hard  work  and  pleasant 
manners,  gave  him  great  success.  Mr.  Matthew 
Bullock,  who  had  gone  over  the  top  with  the  15th 
New  York,  because  of  his  football  fame  at  Dart- 
mouth, was  well  known  to  the  soldiers.  His  strong 
helpful  personality  also  counted  for  much  in  the 
lives  of  the  men  who  visited  the  Leave  Area.  There 
was  Mr.  Henry  Dunn  who  had  come  over  from 
the  army  and  who  conducted  the  hikes.  We  have 
never  since  met  a  man  who  was  at  Challes-les-Eaux 
that  he  has  not  asked  for  Mr.  Dunn.  Messrs. 
Watkins  and  Shockley,  just  as  fine  and  energetic 
and  beloved  by  the  men,  formed  the  group  working 
at  Challes-les-Eaux.  At  Chambery  Mr.  William 
Anderson  was  not  only  business  manager,  but 
the  sympathetic,  understanding  friend  of  all. 

179 


TWO    COLORED    WOMEN    WITH    THE    A.    E.    F. 

There  were  also  Mr.  Scroggins,  who  hiked  with 
the  men  and  who  will  ever  live  in  their  mem- 
ory; Lieut.  Carrie  Moore,  who  having  done  suc- 
cessful boy's  work  for  the  International  Com- 
mittee of  the  Young  Men's  Christian  Association 
in  the  United  States,  came  over  from  the  army  to 
give  the  benefit  of  his  knowledge  to  the  Y  in  France, 
and  Messrs.  Kindal  and  Parks,  who  did  such 
successful  athletic  work.  All  these  men  gave  the 
very  best  in  them  to  the  soldiers  who  came  under 
their  care  in  the  Leave  Area. 

It  was  a  kind  providence  that  sent  Captain 
Arthur  Spingarn  to  the  Leave  Area.  The  true 
friend  of  the  colored  people  in  the  United  States, 
he  was  no  less  so  as  a  soldier  in  France.  Thor- 
oughly fine  in  spirit  and  personality,  he  was  at 
all  times  an  inspiration  and  help  to  the  colored 
secretaries  working  under  his  guidance. 

The  Leave  Area  is  but  a  memory,  but  it  is  a 
beautiful  one,  linking  thousands  of  soldiers  and 
welfare  workers  in  a  chain  of  comradeship  that 
cannot  be  broken.  It  was  the  mountain  of  vision 
and  hope  in  France  for  those  who  reached  it.  It 
was  the  balm  in  Gilead. 


180 


VIVE  LA  FRANCE 


Relationships  With  the  French 

THE  relationship  between  the  colored  soldiers, 
the  colored  welfare  workers,  and  the  French 
people  was  most  cordial  and  friendly  and  grew  in 
sympathy  and  understanding,  as  their  association 
brought  about  a  closer  acquaintance.  It  was  rather 
an  unusual  as  well  as  a  most  welcome  experience  to 
be  able  to  go  into  places  of  public  accommodation 
without  having  any  hesitations  or  misgivings;  to 
be  at  liberty  to  take  a  seat  in  a  common  carrier, 
without  fear  of  inviting  some  humiliating  experi- 
ence; to  go  into  a  home  and  receive  a  greeting  that 
carried  with  it  a  hospitality  and  kindliness  of  spirit 
that  could  not  be  questioned. 

These  things  were  at  once  noticeable  upon  the 
arrival  of  a  stranger  within  the  gates  of  this  sister 
democracy,  and  the  first  ten  days  in  France,  though 
filled  with  duties  and  harassed  with  visits  from 
German  bombing  planes,  were  nevertheless  a 
delight,  in  that  they  furnished  to  some  of  us  the 
first  full  breath  of  freedom  that  had  ever  come 
into  our  limited  experience. 

The  first  post  of  duty  assigned  to  us  was  Brest. 
Upon  arriving  there  we  received  our  first  experi- 
ence with  American  prejudices,  which  had  not  only 
been  carried  across  the  seas,  but  had  become  a  part 
of  such  an  intricate  propaganda,  that  the  relation- 
ship between  the  colored  soldier  and  the  French 
people  is  more  or  less  a  story  colored  by  a  con- 

182 


TWO    COLORED    WOMEN    WITH    THE    A.    E.    F. 

tinued  and  subtle  effort  to  inject  this  same  preju- 
dice into  the  heart  of  the  hitherto  unprejudiced 
Frenchman. 

We  had  gone  to  this  city  under  protest,  because 
we  felt  that  since  there  were  only  three  colored 
women  in  France  among  approximately  150,000 
colored  soldiers,  that  our  first  duty  should  be  to 
the  men  at  the  front,  who  were  without  doubt  suf- 
fering the  greatest  hardships.  But  we  were  told 
that  in  this  city  there  was  a  great  need,  and  that 
we  had  better  serve  out  a  probation  here,  before 
being  sent  to  the  more  arduous  tasks  at  the  front. 

Imagine  our  surprise,  then,  at  being  told  imme- 
diately upon  our  arrival,  that  there  was  no  need 
for  colored  women  in  that  section;  that  the  colored 
men  were  too  rough;  that  they  were  almost  afraid 
to  locate  a  man  among  them,  to  say  nothing  of  a 
woman.  We  were  permitted  to  tarry,  however,  a 
few  days,  during  which  time  we  discovered  a 
colored  Chaplain,  the  Rev.  L.  C.  Jenkins,  of  South 
Carolina,  who  immediately  made  us  welcome,  and 
arranged  for  us  to  talk  to  his  men.  They  were 
much  grieved  when  they  were  frankly  told  of  the 
reputation  that  had  been  given  them,  and  assured 
us  of  every  consideration  and  courtesy  if  we  were 
permitted  to  remain  among  them.  Every  effort 
was  put  forth  to  get  the  office  to  change  its  decision 
concerning  us,  but  to  no  avail.  In  due  time,  we 
made  our  return  trip  to  Paris. 

In  talking  with  the  soldiers,  however,  and  ulti- 
mately with  the  French  people,  we  were  told  that 

183 


TWO    COLORED    WOMEN    WITH    THE    A.    E.    F. 

the  story  of  the  roughness  of  the  colored  men  was 
being  told  to  the  civilians  in  order  that  all  pos- 
sible association  between  them  might  be  avoided. 
They  had  been  systematically  informed  that  their 
dark-skinned  allies  were  not  only  unworthy  of  any 
courtesies  from  their  homes,  but  that  they  were  so 
brutal  and  vicious  as  to  be  absolutely  dangerous. 
They  were  even  told  that  they  belonged  to  a  semi- 
human  species  who  only  a  few  years  ago  had  been 
caught  in  the  American  forests,  and  only  been 
tamed  enough  to  work  under  the  white  American's 
direction. 

Another  ten  days  in  Paris  was  filled  with  more 
duties,  and  more  opportunity  for  contact  with  the 
French  people.  We  met  again  the  first  colored 
woman  to  arrive  in  France,  and  at  her  suggestion 
and  guidance,  went  to  a  small  hotel  in  the  rue 
d'Antin,  where  very  few  Americans  were  located. 
Here  the  proprietor  and  all  his  assistants  were 
smiling  and  courteous,  ever  ready  to  make  one 
comfortable,  and  to  give  all  necessary  information 
and  many  helpful  suggestions. 

At  this  time  we  were  assigned  to  the  92nd  Divi- 
sion, in  the  Haute  Marne  region,  but  the  great  July 
Offensive  started,  making  it  impossible  for  us  to 
get  through  the  lines,  so  we  were  told,  and  we  were 
finally  assigned  to  St.  Nazaire.  Here  we  were 
very  happy  to  have  the  opportunity  to  go  where 
we  could  have  the  association  of  our  co-worker, 
who  had  gone  there  as  the  pioneer  colored  woman 
for  that  section. 

184 


TWO    COLORED    WOMEN    WITH    THE    A.    E.    F. 

Here,  as  elsewhere,  the  French  people  had  been 
informed  as  to  the  shortcomings  of  the  colored 
Americans,  and  among  other  things  had  been  told 
that  they  were  incapable  of  becoming  officers,  and 
leading  their  own  people.  In  October,  1918,  thirty- 
three  colored  Lieutenants  of  Artillery  landed  at 
this  port.  Upon  meeting  them  on  the  street,  the 
writer  informed  them  of  this  false  impression, 
and  requested  them  to  show  themselves  in  the  busi- 
ness and  residence  sections  of  the  city.  In  one 
shop  the  proprietor  immediately  turned  to  a  white 
officer,  and  remarked  that  these  men  wore  the 
identical  insignia  that  he  had  seen  on  many  other 
officers,  and  that  he  would  thank  some  one  for  an 
explanation.  When  these  same  men  entered  the 
French  Artillery  School,  near  Vannes,  they  were 
forbidden  to  attend  entertainments  where  it  was 
thought  they  would  in  all  probability  meet  the 
French  people. 

Literature  was  gotten  out  through  the  French 
Military  Mission  and  sent  to  French  villages  ex- 
plaining how  Americans  desired  the  colored  officers 
to  be  treated;  that  they  desired  them  to  receive  no 
more  attention  than  was  required  in  the  perform- 
ance of  their  military  duties;  that  to  show  them 
social  courtesies  not  only  would  be  dangerous,  but 
that  it  would  be  an  insult  to  the  American  people. 
The  literature  was  finally  collected  and  ordered 
destroyed  by  the  French  Ministry.4 

In  one  city,  the  soldiers  informed  us,  colored 
Americans  were  confined  to  certain  streets  in  order 

185 


TWO    COLORED    WOMEN    WITH    THE    A.    E.    F. 

that  their  contact  with  the  French  people  might 
have  all  possible  limitations. 

Following  is  a  copy  of  an  order  gotten  out,  and 
a  duplicate  preserved: 

HEADQUARTERS  SECOND  BATTALION, 

804TH  PIONEER  INFANTRY, 
A.  E.  F.,  FRANCE. 
WARCQ,  FRANCE,  March  20,  1919. 

Enlisted  men  of  this  organization  will  not  talk  to  or 
be  in  company  with  any  white  women,  regardless  of 
whether  the  women  solicit  their  company  or  not. 

By  Order  of  CAPTAIN  BYRNE. 
A  True  Copy, 
S/L/D/ 

This  propaganda  was  spread  from  the  streets  of 
the  large  cities  to  the  topmost  peaks  of  the  Alps 
Mountains,  away  up  among  the  little  shepherd 
girls,  who  knew  nothing  except  what  others  came 
up  to  tell  them.  "Soldat  noir-vilain,"  they  re- 
marked to  the  writer  one  day,  while  she  sat  down  to 
gather  strength  to  finish  her  trip  to  the  little  chapel 
whose  ruins  stood  on  the  highest  pinnacle;  even 
their  minds  had  been  poisoned  with  the  thought 
that  "black  soldiers  were  villains." 

These  little  shepherd  girls  dwelt  in  a  portion  of 
France  that  was  used  for  a  Leave  Area.  In  the 
beginning  both  white  and  colored  soldiers  found 

186 


TWO    COLORED    WOMEN    WITH    THE    A.    E.    F. 

rest  and  pleasure  in  visiting  the  historic  and  pic- 
turesque region  about  Challes-les-Eaux  and  Cham- 
bery,  but  later  it  was  set  aside  by  the  Y.  M.  C.  A. 
for  colored  soldiers  only.  Naturally  the  inhabi- 
tants were  much  amazed  to  find  that  they  were  not 
being  molested  in  any  way,  and  toward  the  close 
of  the  work  the  different  impressions  that  were 
being  gathered  by  the  French  people  became  almost 
a  constant  topic  of  conversation.  The  teachers  and 
proprietors  of  the  hotels  came  often  to  converse, 
and  some  of  them  helped  gratuitously  in  the  per- 
formance of  our  duties.  Many  of  the  children 
came  to  play  upon  the  lawn  of  the  Y.  M.  C.  A. 
at  Challes-les-Eaux,  where  the  writer  had  charge 
of  the  woman's  work  for  a  period,  and  the  mayor 
came  as  the  official  representative  of  the  town,  to 
assure  us  of  all  good  wishes  and  sympathetic  greet- 
ings ;  while  the  mayor  at  Chambery  gave  out  a  pub- 
lic invitation  for  the  colored  people  to  return  to 
France  and  become  a  part  of  their  civilization. 

Often  the  staff  of  secretaries  at  Challes-les-Eaux 
would  be  invited  to  dinner,  especially  at  the 
hotel  Chateaubriand,  where  the  hostess  and  her 
daughter,  dressed  and  smiling,  amidst  a  bower  of 
flowers,  opened  their  hearts  again  and  again  con- 
cerning their  entire  satisfaction  with  the  conduct 
of  our  soldiers,  and  how  different  they  were  from 
their  original  representation.  They  had  received 
instructions  before  their  coming  as  to  just  the  man- 
ner in  which  they  should  be  treated,  but  they  not 
only ,  found  no  cause  for  such  instructions,  but 

187 


TWO    COLORED    WOMEN    WITH    THE    A.    E.    F. 

found  many  characteristics  in  the  colored  men 
which  were  a  pleasure  and  a  delight. 

During  the  victory  parade  in  Paris,  no  colored 
Americans  were  permitted  to  participate,  notwith- 
standing the  fact  that  numerous  individuals  as  well 
as  organizations  had  been  cited  or  decorated  for 
bravery.  This  the  French  people  were  not  able  to 
understand,  but  in  due  time  they  learned  that  it  was 
all  due  to  the  American  policy  of  discrimination. 
They  gradually  discovered  that  the  colored  Amer- 
ican was  not  the  wild,  vicious  character  that  he 
had  been  represented  to  be,  but  that  he  was  kind- 
hearted,  genteel  and  polite.  One  could  frequently 
hear  the  expression,  "  soldat  noir,  tres  gentil,  tres 
poli"  (black  soldier  very  genteel,  very  polite) ;  this 
characteristic  appealed  greatly  to  these  people  who 
have  always  been  noted  for  their  innate  politeness. 

The  French  women  were  especially  kind  and 
hospitable  to  their  dark-skinned  allies.  The  writers 
had  the  pleasure  of  living  in  one  French  home  for 
nearly  nine  months.  Here  they  were  treated  with 
all  courtesy,  respect,  and  almost  reverence.  One 
of  them  became  ill,  and  was  sick  unto  death  for 
nearly  five  weeks,  during  which  time  the  hostess 
called  in  her  own  family  physician,  administered 
the  medicine,  and  nursed  her  as  if  she  had  been 
her  own  child. 

When  the  French  women  learned  that  the  Amer- 
icans were  trying  to  control  the  social  intercourse 
of  their  homes,  they  deeply  resented  it.  At  one 
time  the  92nd  Division  had  issued  the  following 
orders: 

188 


FRIENDLY  INTERCOURSE  WITH  THE  FRENCH 

1.   Group   of    Colored   Officers    visiting   French    family.      2.    Mayor,    hotel 

proprietors    and    teachers    at    Challes-les-Eaux    fraternizing    with    Colored 

Soldiers  and  Y.    M.   C.   A.   Secretaries.     3.   Group  of   French   Students 

taken  with  Colored  Soldiers  resting  while  on  a  hike. 


TWO    COLORED    WOMEN    WITH    THE    A.    E.    F. 

HEADQUARTERS,  92ND  DIVISION, 
A.  E.  F. 

LE  MANS  AREA,  MIENNE,  FRANCE. 

December  26,  1918. 

The  special  duties  with  which  military  police  are 
charged  are, — 

(A)  To  insure  order  and  proper  behavior  by  enlisted 
men  at  all  times.  .  .  . 

(E)  To  prevent  enlisted  men  from  addressing  or  hold- 
ing conversation  with  the  women  inhabitants  of  the  town. 

(F)  To  prevent  enlisted  men  from  entering  any  build- 
ing other  than  their  respective  billets  with  the  exception 
of  stores,  places  of  amusement  and  cafes. 

By  Command  of  BRIGADIER  GENERAL  ERWIN. 

G.  K.  WILSON, 

Chief  of  Staff. 
Official: 

(Signed)     EDW.  J.  TURGEON, 

Major,  Infantry,  U.  S.  A. 
Adjutant. 

When  this  matter  came  to  the  attention  of  the 
women  of  the  city,  the  leaders  among  them  formed 
a  committee  and  waited  on  the  French  Mission  with 
the  statement  that  they  were  mistresses  of  their 
own  homes  and  morals,  and  knew  with  whom  they 
wished  to  associate,  and  did  not  desire  American 
officers  to  interfere  with  their  social  affairs. 

Following  is  an  extract  from  a  letter  written  by 
a  French  girl  to  a  young  man  who  was  located  in 
the  camp  where  the  writer  gave  her  longest  period 
of  service: 

189 


TWO    COLORED    WOMEN    WITH    THE    A.    E.    F. 

LE  GUERANDAIS 
ALLEE  DES  BOULEAUX,  LA  BAULE. 

Dear  Mister :  October  21,  1918. 

Your  kind  letter  was  welcome.  I  understand  them 
very  easily  without  my  dictionary,  and  I  thank  you  very 
much  for  the  kind  feelings  you  express  me.  Be  not 
anxious  about  my  health,  I  have  recovered  now. 

I  was  very  touched  by  all  the  sympathy  you  have 
showed  me  on  this  occasion,  and  I  was  surprised  of  it, 
very  agreeably.  Thank  you  for  your  friendship,  I  am 
happy  to  give  mine  in  exchange,  because  I  know  now 
what  is  your  hard  condition.  I  have  spoken  to  white 
men,  and  always  I  have  seen  the  same  flash  (lightning)  in 
their  angry  eyes,  when  I  have  spoken  them  of  colored 
men.  But  I  do  not  fear  them  for  myself;  I  am  afraid 
of  them  for  you,  because  they  have  said  me  the  horrible 
punishment  of  colored  men  in  America.  As  I  am  a 
French  girl  I  have  answered,  "It  is  not  Christian."  I 
am  full  of  pity  for  your  unhappy  condition,  more  still 
when  I  think  you  are  very  intelligent,  and  you  have 
quality  of  the  heart  more  than  many  white  men.  .  .  . 

When  a  colored  man  goes  in  the  house  of  a  white  girl, 
the  policeman  wait  for  him  and  kill  him  when  he  goes 
away!  I  have  thought  this  way  to  do  is  savage,  and  it 
is  why  I  was  pitiful  for  the  colored  man.  But  I  see  you 
are  not  unhappy  as  I  believed,  and  I  am  glad  of  it  for 
you.  .  .  . 

I  should  like  to  express  you  how  much  I  am  revolted 
of  that  I  have  learned  of  your  condition,  and  how  amused 
I  am  to  have  heard  many  injurious  opinions  of  white  men 
upon  ourselves,  French  women!  I  write  you  in  English 
and  I  cannot  express  my  feelings  as  well  as  in  French. 

Naturally  these  "injurious  opinions"  about  the 
French  women  were  resented,  not  only  by  the 
women  themselves,  but  the  Frenchmen  as  well. 

190 


TWO    COLORED    WOMEN    WITH    THE    A.    E.    F. 

The  result  of  this,  and  other  difficulties,  was  that 
two  or  three  months  before  the  American  soldiers 
were  out  of  France,  it  became  generally  known  that 
the  French  people  were  tired  of  them  and  wanted 
them  out  of  their  country.  The  spirit  of  dislike 
became  so  great  that  sometimes  French  people 
were  overheard  saying  that  if  the  American  soldiers 
had  on  German  uniforms,  they  could  not  be  told 
from  the  Huns!  And  that  if  they  were  to  judge 
from  their  actions  it  would  seem  that  they  had  a 
desire  to  treat  them  in  the  same  manner  as  they 
treated  the  colored  Americans. 

After  the  signing  of  the  Armistice  there  were 
frequent  riotings  between  the  American  white  sol- 
diers and  the  French  people.  On  the  first  Sunday 
in  April,  1919,  the  city  of  St.  Nazaire  was  changed 
from  a  quiet  port  city  into  a  tumult  of  discord, 
during  which  a  number  of  people  were  killed  and 
wounded.  It  grew  out  of  the  fact  that  a  white 
French  woman  and  a  colored  Frenchman  entered 
a  restaurant  frequented  by  American  officers,  in 
order  that  they  might  enjoy  their  lunch  together. 
An  insinuating  remark  concerning  the  woman  was 
overheard  by  her  brother,  who  understood  English, 
and  immediately  resented  it.  The  restaurant  was 
demolished  in  a  free-for-all  fight,  which  grew  in 
proportions  until  the  French  people  mounted  a 
machine  gun  in  the  middle  of  the  public  square, 
to  restore  order. 

In  the  city  of  Nantes  a  colored  French  soldier 
was  shot  by  an  American  Military  Policeman, 
under  the  guise  that  he  thought  that  the  Frenchman 
13  191 


TWO    COLORED    WOMEN    WITH    THE    A.    E.    F. 

was    a   colored   American   deserter   disguised    in 
French  uniform. 

During  the  writer's  period  of  service  at  Brest 
there  were  ever-recurring  conflicts,  and  Camp 
Pontanezen  was  frequently  closed  and  the  soldiers 
not  permitted  to  enter  the  city.  Some  of  these  were 
said  to  have  occurred  because  of  insults  offered  to 
colored  Frenchmen.  Rumor  had  it  that  these  riots 
always  resulted  in  a  number  of  killed  and 
wounded. 

In  order  to  substantiate  our  statement  concern- 
ing these  conflicts,  we  wish  to  quote  from  Sergeant 
Alexander  Woolcott's  article  in  the  October,  1919, 
issue  of  the  North  American  Review:* 

"Whatever  turn  is  taken  by  international  politics  dur- 
ing the  next  two  years,  whatever  the  official  post  bellum 
relation  between  Washington  and  the  government  in 
France,  the  degree  of  understanding  and  the  nature  of 
the  sentiment  existing  between  our  people  and  the  French 
is  going  to  be  of  incalculable  importance  in  shaping  the 
twentieth  century.  It  is  going  to  give  the  true  validity 
to  whatever  doctrine  our  ministers  may  from  time  to 
time  endorse. 

"That  is  why  it  is  worth  while  to  look  back  over  the 
A.  E.  F.,  and  by  so  doing,  to  measure  and  search  for 
the  causes  of  mutual  rancor  which  developed  between 
the  French  people  and  our  troops — the  rancor  which 
broke  out  here  and  there  in  riots,  as  at  Brest;  which  made 
the  irritated  army  of  occupation  lean  over  backwards  in 
their  affability  towards  the  Rhinelanders ;  which  moved 
Le  Rire  to  some  caustic  cartoons  at  the  expense  of  the 
A.  E.  F.;  and  which  poured  into  our  astonished  ports  a 

*  By  permission  of  North  American-  Review. 

192 


TWO    COLORED    WOMEN    WITH    THE    A.    E.    F. 

stream  of  returning  doughboys  all  muttering  under  their 
breaths  a  disparagement  of  the  'French  Frogs.' 5 

"Perhaps  it  would  be  well  first  to  consider  two  rather 
fixed  delusions  on  the  subject.  For  one  thing,  stay-at- 
home  Americans  have,  quite  pardonably,  come  to  the 
easy  conclusion  that  all  the  rancor  could  be  explained 
by  overcharging.  ...  As  a  matter  of  fact,  the  amount 
of  overcharging  was  slight,  astonishingly  slight,  when 
one  considers  that  there  were  more  than  two  million 
spendthrift  Americans  in  France,  far  from  home,  over- 
paid, irresponsible,  and  loose  in  an  impoverished 
country.  It  is  against  the  nature  of  the  French  peasant 
or  shopkeeper  to  go  in  all  at  once  for  resourceful  profi- 
teering, just  as  it  is  against  his  nature  to  part  lightly 
with  a  sou  on  which  he  has  once  laid  his  thrifty  hands. 
Furthermore,  both  the  French  government  and  the 
American  Army  were  vigilant  in  the  matter,  so  that  the 
doughboy  was  not  despoiled  with  half  the  unscrupulous- 
ness  that  would  have  been  practised  among  his  own 
people — certainly  no  more  than  is  the  average  lot  of 
the  expeditionary  soldier,  anywhere  under  the  sun.  .  .  . 

"Then,  too,  there  was1  the  delusion  from  which  the 
French  government  suffered — the  notion  that  the  whole 
source  of  bad  feeling  was  the  friction  between  the  French 
and  American  staffs.  There  was  such  friction,  and  during 
the  first  few  weeks  of  the  Armistice  the  staff  officers  of  the 
Third  Army  were  on  edge  with  irritation  at  the  neighbor- 
ing French  command.  .  .  . 

"I  think  that  if  the  dislike  developed  on  one  side  before 
the  other,  the  first  appearance  can  be  traced  to  a  certain 
disdain  for  the  French  which  the  outspoken  Americans 
were  only  too  wont  to  display.  To  the  resulting  friction 
a  hundred  and  one  things  contributed,  of  which  high 
prices  constituted  the  least — little  things,  like  the  French 
truck  driver's  enraging  habit  of  driving  dreamily  in  the 
middle  of  the  road;  big  things,  like  the  French  street 
walker's  unprejudiced  habits  of  accepting  the  Negro's  at- 
tentions as  affably  as  a  white  man's" 

193 


TWO    COLORED    WOMEN    WITH    THE    A.    E.    F. 

It  is  interesting  to  note  the  comment  of  an  Eng- 
lish paper  upon  the  mutual  rancor  which  so  unfor- 
tunately developed,  and  which  must  have  some 
bearing  upon  the  future  relationship  between  the 
French  and  the  American  people.  The  following 
significant  excerpt  is  from  the  London  Saturday 
Review  of  June  28,  1919:* 

"No  one  at  this  or  any  other  time  should  write,  or 
even  say  things  likely  to  create  international  ill-feeling, 
but  facts'  will  not  be  ignored.  There  are  indeed  certain 
truths,  which,  like  mushrooms,  grow  best  in  the  dark.  It 
is  not  only  absurd,  it  is  also  in  the  long  run  contrary  to 
international  good  will,  to  ignore  the  fact  that  Americans 
are  not  as  popular  in  Paris  to-day  as  they  were  twelve 
months  ago.  There  can  be  surely  no  harm  in  discussing 
publicly  what  everyone  privately  knows.  .  .  . 

"At  the  present  moment  the  Americans  are  regarded  by 
the  ordinary  Parisian  as  a  barbarian  nation,  and  the 
prospects  of  beholding  them  rejoice  on  July  4th,  possibly 
on  a  large  scale,  already  fills  him  with  apprehension  and 
disgust.  The  nation  which  a  year  ago  was  the  most 
popular  nation  in  Europe,  has  become  in  Paris  a  burden 
almost  too  grievous  to  be  borne.  The  other  evening  we 
heard  a  lady  whose  profession  brings  her  into  rather 
close  contact  with  the  American  soldiers  and  minor  diplo- 
matists in  Paris,  proclaim  amid  general  assent,  that  the 
Americans  are  at  the  best  children  and  that  at  the  worst 
they  are  brutes.  We  are  not  subscribing  to  this  opinion, 
we  are  merely  recording  that  it  was  passed.  The  Amer- 
icans could  not  avoid  being  unpopular  in  Paris.  The 
mere  fact  that  they  came  late  into  the  war,  and  that  the 
importance  of  their  share  in  the  peace  negotiations  is 
out  of  all  proportion  to  their  sacrifices,  is  in  any  event 
a  difficult  matter  to  discount  or  obscure.  .  .  . 


*  By  permission  of  The  Worlfs  Work. 
194 


TWO    COLORED    WOMEN    WITH    THE    A.    E.    F. 

"Socially  the  Americans  in  Paris  are  in  the  position 
of  a  man  staying  in  the  house  of  a  friend,  and  forced  to 
behave  much  as  though  the  house  were  his  own.  It  is 
even  worse  than  that.  We  have  to  consider  that  the 
man  who  thus  stays  in  the  house  of  his  friend,  and 
behaves  just  as  though  it  were  his  own,  has  in  effect, 
a  mortgage  on  the  house.  We  are  most  of  us  the  debtors 
of  America,  and  France  not  least  of  all.  The  American 
army  in  Paris  may  almost  be  described  as  the  man  in 
possession,  and  there  is  no  possibility  of  avoiding  him. 
It  was  an  unlucky  decision  to  make  Paris  an  American 
military  headquarters.  The  wild  west  sprawls  in  the 
restaurants,  and  patrols  the  grand  boulevards.  The 
American  army  could  no  more  be  popular  in  Paris  than 
the  Canadians  could  be  popular  in  Epsom.  When  on 
top  of  the  military  invasion  of  Paris  there  came  an 
American  delegation  1,400  strong,  filling  the  air  with 
principles  and  viewpoints,  and  amusing  itself  loudly  and 
continuously,  not  the  most  civilized  president  in  the 
world  could  quite  cover  with  his  professional  mantle 
the  nakedness  of  his  countrymen. 

"All  of  this  would  be  of  merely  passing  interest  were 
it  not  for  the  peculiar  position  which  America  will  occupy 
for  the  next  thirty  years.  What  is  happening  in  Paris 
will  happen  on  a  large  scale  in  Europe  as  soon  as  peace 
is  signed.  During  the  war  America  has  become  the 
creditor  of  the  civilized  world.  Her  chief  problem  will 
be  how  to  spend  the  money  she  has  made.  She  is  so 
rich  that  she  has  begun  to  be  alarmed  for  her  foreign 
trade,  for  it  is  impossible  for  Dives  to  trade  with  Lazarus 
unless  Lazarus  can  be  induced  to  borrow  the  necessary 
capital  to  set  himself  up  in  business.  Whatever  ultimate 
arrangements  are  made  it  is  fairly  clear  that  America 
will  have  more  money  than  she  knows  what  to  do  with, 
and  that  Europe  will  be,  to  an  extent  unknown  before, 
an  American  playground  and  Europe  will  hate  it  to-mor- 
row as  Paris  hates  it  to-day." 

195 


TWO    COLORED    WOMEN    WITH    THE    A.    E.    F. 

For  a  period  of  time  many  of  the  colored  fight- 
ing troops  were  brigaded  with  the  French  troops, 
which  brought  them  into  very  close  contact  with  the 
French  life.  As  has  been  noted  in  another  chapter, 
four  regiments,  those  that  were  to  have  composed 
the  93rd  Division,  became  a  part  of  French  Divi- 
sions of  Infantry.  It  is  interesting  to  note  that  by 
far  the  greatest  majority  of  colored  soldiers  or 
organizations  that  were  cited  or  decorated  for 
bravery  were  these  troops,  and  that  the  decorations 
were  with  few  exceptions  French  and  not  American. 
It  is  also  interesting  to  note  that  the  regiment  from 
Illinois,  under  command  of  colored  officers,  was 
awarded  30  Croix  de  Guerre  decorations  for 
officers,  and  38  for  non-commissioned  officers  and 
privates,  while  only  3  officers  received  the  Amer- 
ican Distinguished  Service  Cross,  and  19  non-com- 
missioned officers  and  privates.  These  colored 
officers  have  many  happy  recollections  of  the  over- 
flowing appreciation  of  the  French  people. 

Certificates  of  good  behavior  secured  by  these 
troops  show  that  the  towns  and  villages  through 
which  they  passed  or  in  which  they  were  billeted 
found  no  cause  for  complaint;  that  they  came  in 
an  orderly  manner  and  left  in  the  same  way.  The 
same  can  be  said  of  the  thousands  of  labor  troops 
and  engineers  who  built  the  roads,  unloaded  the 
ships,  laid  telephone  wires,  built  warehouses,  and 
handled  supplies. 

Finally,  we  can  happily  say  that  it  was  a  pleasure 
to  note  that  the  relationship  between  the  colored 
American  and  the  Frenchman  grew  in  cordiality 

196 


1.  French     Sergeants    fraternizing    with     Colored    American     Sergeants. 

2.  and   3.    Colored    Soldiers   and    the   French   children.      4.   Two   colored 

Sergeants   visiting    in    French    home. 


TWO    COLORED    WOMEN    WITH    THE    A.    E.    F. 

and  friendliness  until  a  strong,  and  we  hope,  last- 
ing bond  was  established  between  them.  They 
were  made  welcome  guests  in  the  homes  of  the 
wealthy  and  cultured,  as  well  as  in  the  most 
humble.  The  understanding  ear  of  the  colored 
man  seemed  attuned  to  the  French  language,  and 
he  learned  more  quickly  than  others,  it  seemed, 
how  to  converse  with  this  romantic  people.  The 
French  people  are  affectionate  and  demonstrative, 
which  corresponds  to  the  deep  emotional  spirit 
which  seems  the  heritage  of  the  colored  American. 
The  colored  soldiers  were  naturally  musical,  and 
many  of  them  sang  with  a  wonderful  penetrating 
pathos,  or  with  notes  that  brought  forth  joy  that 
was  unconfined;  others  were  talented  and  accom- 
plished pianists.  These  things  appealed  deeply  to 
the  artistic  soul  of  our  French  comrades. 

The  variety  of  color  among  them  interested  the 
Frenchman  much  as  the  light  and  shade  in  a  pic- 
ture, or  the  coloring  in  the  drapery  in  his  store 
windows,  or  in  the  birds  that  flitted  about  in  his 
mountain  fastnesses.  He  admired  the  way  they 
fought,  and  the  way  they  performed  without  mur- 
muring their  tasks  at  the  dock,  on  the  railroads,  or 
in  the  warehouses.  He  loved  them  because  they 
did  all  these  things  with  a  song  of  joy,  though  per- 
haps with  a  crucifixion  of  spirit;  and  with  all 
earnestness  and  genuine  desire  he  invited  them  to 
come  again,  that  the  relationship  thus  begun  might 
grow  in  strength  and  beauty  and  mutual  helpful- 
ness. 


197 


Take  fast  hold  of  instruction,  let  her  not  go:   keep 
her;  for  she  is  thy  life. — Proverbs  4:13. 


198 


Education 


r  I  "'HE  chief  educational  work  to  be  done  among 
A  the  colored  troops  overseas  was  that  of  teaching 
them  to  read  and  write,  as  large  numbers  were 
unable  to  sign  the  payroll.  These  men  were  drafted 
into  the  army  often  without  regard  to  age  or 
physical  fitness.  One  man  from  Texas,  upon  de- 
livering a  company  of  men  to  a  lieutenant  whom 
he  thought  to  be  white,  remarked  that  he  had 
brought  him  a  good  bunch  of  Negroes,  and  had 
plenty  more  down  there  if  he  wanted  them.  At 
first,  he  said,  they  took  all  the  men  who  had  just 
purchased  little  farms,  so  that  the  property  would 
soon  return  to  the  original  owners,  and  then  they 
just  went  out  through  the  country  and  gathered 
them  up  everywhere,  so  that  they  could  get  their 
full  quota  without  sending  their  white  boys.  Of 
course,  he  said,  the  Negroes  didn't  know  any  better 
and  just  thought  they  had  to  come. 

This  shows  the  dense  ignorance  that  existed  in 
no  small  degree  among  them,  and  many  of  them 
knew  only  one  name,  didn't  know  when  nor  where 
they  were  born,  and  couldn't  tell  the  time  of  day. 
This  ignorance  was  not  all  confined  to  the  colored 
men,  however.  One  white  captain  remarked  pub- 
licly that  he  had  white  men  in  his  battalion  who 
were  equally  ignorant,  and  that  upon  asking  one 
man  where  he  was  born,  his  reply  was  "Toons 
County,"  which  was  the  limit  of  his  knowledge 
concerning  the  matter. 

199 


TWO    COLORED    WOMEN    WITH    THE    A.    E.    F. 

In  Camp  Lusitania,  St.  Nazaire,  France,  there 
were  9,000  colored  stevedores,  and  out  of  this 
number  1,100  could  not  write  their  names,  and  a 
large  per  cent,  of  the  remainder  had  only  mediocre 
training.  On  the  other  hand,  some  were  college 
graduates  and  undergraduates,  and  were  of  great 
value  to  those  who  undertook  the  task  of  teaching 
the  large  number  of  illiterates.  They  readily  vol- 
unteered their  assistance,  and  took  great  pains  with 
their  unfortunate  comrades,  helping  them  in  school 
and  out  to  get  the  amount  of  training  that  the 
limited  facilities  offered. 

The  writer,  during  her  nine  months'  period  of 
service  at  Camp  Lusitania,  gave  most  of  her  time 
to  this  kind  of  work,  and  while  it  was  difficult,  the 
gratitude  of  the  men  fully  compensated  her  for 
all  the  trouble.  Upon  first  entering  the  camp,  there 
was  no  provision  made  to  assist  in  reaching  these 
men,  or  ascertaining  who  they  were.  The  Y.  M. 
C.  A.  had  furnished  a  large  number  of  books, 
which  were  piled  away  in  the  hut  unused.  These 
books  were  taken  and  a  request  made  at  the  cinema 
for  all  who  desired  training  in  English  to  manifest 
it  by  remaining  in  their  seats  at  the  close  of  the 
show.  In  this  way  we  were  able  to  reach  a  large 
number,  and  through  them  others  could  be  reached, 
so  that  in  time  the  work  grew  until  the  writer's 
entire  time  was  consumed  in  teaching  and  directing 
the  work. 

One  man  told  how  his  parents  had  died  when  he 
was  quite  young,  and  that  he  was  afterwards  bound 
out  to  a  white  family  to  herd  cattle  for  fifty  cents 

200 


TWO    COLORED    WOMEN    WITH    THE    A.    E.    F. 

a  week.  He  wanted  to  go  to  school  so  badly  that 
he  slipped  off  and  went  two  days,  when  the  man  for 
whom  he  worked  found  it  out  and  beat  him  so  that 
he  never  went  back  any  more.  He  said  he  had  a 
wife  from  whom  he  had  not  heard  since  he  had 
been  in  France,  but  that  he  couldn't  read  her  letters 
anyway,  and  he  was  not  expecting  her  to  write. 
He  worked  very  hard,  however,  and  in  time  was 
able  to  write  well  and  read  third  grade  reading 
matter.  One  day  he  came  in  joyfully  and  said  he 
had  written  his  wife  a  letter  and  had  gotten  a  reply. 
This,  no  doubt,  was  a  wonderful  day  in  his  life, 
when  he  had  acquired  sufficient  knowledge  to  make 
himself  understood  in  a  written  communication. 
At  times  their  gratitude  was  most  pathetic,  and  one 
man  had  tears  in  his  eyes  as  he  told  the  writer  how 
he  had  been  so  anxious  to  learn,  but  had  been 
ashamed  to  let  her  know  that  he  couldn't  write 
his  name,  and  had  hesitated  a  long  time  before 
he  finally  decided  to  come. 

To  learn  to  write  one's  name  seems  an  easy 
matter,  but  some  of  these  men  would  try  patiently 
for  an  hour  or  so  and  the  letters  would  have  no 
form,  nor  resemble  in  any  way  the  characters  they 
were  trying  to  make.  Then  the  instructor  would 
take  each  great  rough  hand  in  her  own  and  help 
the  soldier  to  trace  the  form  of  the  letter  so  that 
he  would  get  an  idea  of  how  to  go  about  making 
the  first  curve  of  his  initial.  When  he  would 
finally  master  the  first  initial  of  his  name  he  would 
be  so  delighted  that  he  would  go  to  his  barracks 
and  make  all  the  boys  whom  he  knew  give  him 

201 


TWO    COLORED    WOMEN    WITH    THE    A.    E.    F. 

assistance,  so  that  in  a  day  or  two  one  could  realize 
that  he  was  making  splendid  progress. 

This  kind  of  work  went  on  without  much  diffi- 
culty until  the  Armistice  was  signed;  at  this  time 
every  soldier  became  doubly  sure  that  he  was  going 
home  "toute  de  suite"  (at  once) ;  and  to  add 
impetus  to  an  already  bad  situation,  their  colonel 
got  up  in  the  auditorium  and  told  them  that  they 
would  all  eat  Christmas  dinner  at  home.  This 
completely  demoralized  the  work  until  after  the 
holidays.  By  this  time  they  had  all  concluded  that 
they  were  going  to  remain  in  France  a  while  any- 
way, and  some  began  to  say  that  they  would  be 
glad  if  they  were  able  to  eat  dinner  at  home  the 
next  Christmas. 

By  the  beginning  of  the  new  year  the  army 
decided  to  take  a  hand  in  the  educational  work, 
and  through  its  chaplains  force  all  illiterates  to 
attend  school.  This  brought  the  entire  1,100  at 
Camp  Lusitania  to  the  Y.  M.  C.  A.  hut  to  receive 
instruction.  All  of  them  could  not  be  reached  at 
one  time,  but  two  or  three  hundred  could  be 
crowded  into  the  class  rooms  twice  a  day,  so  that 
every  two  days  the  entire  number  would  be  reached. 
The  writer  would  teach  them  en  masse,  first  from 
the  blackboard,  having  them  follow  her  in  sounding 
the  letters,  pronouncing  the  words,  and  giving  the 
diacritical  markings;  then  from  a  small  booklet 
called  "English  Reading  Lessons,"  provided  by 
the  Educational  Commission  of  the  Army  and 
Navy  Y.  M.  C.  A.  These  booklets,  containing 
twenty  lessons  drawn  from  the  soldiers'  experience 

202 


TWO    COLORED    WOMEN    WITH    THE    A.    E.    F. 

in  routine  camp  life  and  drilling,  would  be  fur- 
nished by  the  hundreds,  free,  so  that  every  man 
could  have  a  book.  After  they  had  all  read  the 
lesson  in  concert,  the  volunteer  teachers,  about 
twenty-five  all  told,  would  each  address  himself  to 
a  group  of  the  men,  and  hear  them  read  individu- 
ally. In  this  way  each  man  could  get  a  small 
amount  of  individual  attention. 

One  day,  by  some  means,  Mr.  Ferguson,  the  hut 
secretary,  found  a  French  mimeograph  machine  at 
the  Y.  M.  C.  A.  warehouse.  It  was  the  only  one, 
it  seemed,  in  the  entire  section.  The  writer,  after 
many  trials  and  failures,  learned  to  use  it,  and  with 
the  assistance  of  Private  Stokes  and  one  or  two 
others,  was  able  to  make  a  large  number  of  copies 
of  written  sentences.  These  would  be  taken  by 
Chaplains  Hodges,  Jefferson,  and  their  assistants, 
including  Reverend  McCoomer,  whom  the  army 
had  appointed  to  do  educational  and  religious 
work.  They  would  be  distributed  among  the  men 
in  the  class  room,  pencils  given  them  free,  and 
every  man  would  labor  earnestly  to  learn  to  write ; 
then  the  men  would  be  permitted  to  take  the  copies 
to  their  barracks,  where  they  would  practice  during 
their  leisure  moments. 

The  mimeograph  was  also  used  to  furnish  prob- 
lems in  numbers  to  the  men  who  were  learning 
to  make  figures,  add  and  subtract.  After  having 
a  lesson  from  the  blackboard,  they  would  take  the 
papers  to  their  barracks,  solve  their  problems,  and 
bring  them  in  the  next  day  for  correction.  Mr. 
Julius  Rosenwald  visited  Camp  Lusitania  during 

203 


TWO    COLORED    WOMEN    WITH    THE    A.    E.    F. 

the  year,  and  left  two  hundred  dollars  to  be  used 
for  the  benefit  of  the  soldiers  there.  An  automo- 
bile school  was  finally  established  and  a  number 
of  the  soldiers  took  advantage  of  the  training.  In 
the  white  camps  much  industrial  training  was 
introduced,  and  no  small  amount  of  attention  given 
to  higher  education  as  well. 

The  Y.  M.  C.  A.  made  ample  provision  for  the 
purpose  of  giving  the  soldiers  the  opportunity  to 
learn  French.  French  professors  were  employed 
to  visit  each  hut  at  stipulated  hours,  where  the 
men  would  be  taught  en  masse,  the  rudiments  of 
conversational  French.  Small  books  published  for 
the  express  purpose  were  put  without  cost  into  the 
hands  of  each  man  who  had  a  desire  to  learn,  and 
very  few  of  them  could  be  found  after  a  few  lessons 
and  a  little  contact  with  the  French  people,  who 
could  not  readily  make  themselves  understood  with 
regard  to  small  matters  that  concerned  their  every- 
day life. 

About  the  first  of  April,  1919,  the  Army  de- 
cided to  take  over  the  entire  educational  work  of 
the  Y.  M.  C.  A.,  and  invited  the  educational  secre- 
taries, the  writer  included,  to  leave  the  organiza- 
tion and  come  over  to  the  army.  It  promised  to 
carry  out  the  original  contract  made  by  the  Y.  M. 
C.  A.,  and  give  them  the  rank  and  uniform  of  an 
officer.  Eight  colored  men  accepted  this  offer  and 
went  into  the  army.  They  were  Mr.  J.  C.  Wright, 
formerly  of  Tuskegee  Institute,  Mr.  F.  0.  Nichols, 
of  Philadelphia,  Mr.  Benjamin  F.  Hubert,  State 
College,  Orangeburg,  S.  C.,  Mr.  William  Nelson, 

204 


TWO    COLORED    WOMEN    WITH    THE    A.    E.    F. 

A.  &  T.  College,  Greensboro,  N.  C.,  Mr.  Joseph  L. 
Whiting,  Tuskegee  Institute,  Mr.  Thomas  Clayton, 
Piqua,  Ohio,  Mr.  W.  H.  Crutcher,  A.  &  M.  College, 
Tallahassee,  and  Mr.  George  W.  Jackson,  Louis- 
ville, Ky.  Of  this  number  Mr.  J.  C.  Wright  was 
appointed  Supervisor  of  Instruction  for  colored 
troops  and  Lecturer  in  Civics;  Mr.  F.  0.  Nichols, 
Lecturer  in  Civics,  and  Mr.  Benjamin  F.  Hubert, 
Supervisor  of  Agricultural  Instruction  among  the 
colored  troops. 

These  men  were  attached  to  the  staff  of  the  Uni- 
versity of  Beaune.  As  Supervisor  of  Instruction, 
Mr.  Wright  was  well  qualified,  being  a  graduate  of 
Oberlin  College,  Dean  of  Tallahassee  Normal 
School,  and  having  done  splendid  work  as  a  Y.  M. 
C.  A.  secretary  at  Camp  One,  Hut  5,  St.  Nazaire. 
Here  he  found  a  large  number  of  men  from  the 
301st  Stevedore  Regiment,  one  of  the  largest  mili- 
tary organizations  in  France,  and  among  them  the 
first  colored  American  soldiers  to  land  on  French 
soil.  About  30  per  cent,  of  these  men  were  illiter- 
ate. On  the  contrary,  a  number  of  them  were 
college  trained  men,  having  been  engaged  in  pro- 
fessional and  business  pursuits. 

Mr.  Wright  undertook  the  task  of  preparing 
these  men  to  go  back  to  civilian  life  with  at  least 
the  rudiments  of  an  English  education.  His  first 
method  was  to  get  men  who  could  not  read  and 
write  to  voluntarily  attend  classes  scheduled  at  the 
Y.  M.  C.  A.  hut;  but  this  was  quite  a  difficult 
matter,  for  after  ten  or  twelve  hours'  work  on  the 
dock,  the  men  were  usually  too  tired  to  do  anything 

205 


TWO    COLORED    WOMEN    WITH    THE    A.    E.    F. 

that  was  not  compulsory.  Then  he  succeeded  in 
getting  it  made  a  military  duty  for  all  men  who 
could  not  sign  the  payroll  to  attend  class  three 
nights  in  a  week  for  a  certain  period.  This  plan 
was  successful  only  to  a  limited  degree,  as  com- 
pulsion was  left  largely  with  company  com- 
manders, who  were  not  entirely  in  sympathy  with 
the  idea.  They  contended  that  the  army  was  no 
place  for  a  man  to  make  up  for  his  lost  school 
advantages,  and  some  said  it  was  too  much  to  re- 
quire such  a  duty  of  tired,  hard-working  troops; 
but  too  anxious  and  determined  to  be  discouraged, 
the  effort  was  continued,  and  after  much  advertis- 
ing and  several  large  public  meetings  held  in  the 
interest  of  the  work,  there  were  over  five  hundred 
men  who  enrolled  for  class  work.  Of  this  number 
328  were  actually  taught  by  volunteer  teacher- 
soldiers.  One  sergeant  compelled  the  thirty  illiter- 
ates of  his  company  to  attend  school  every  night 
there  were  classes  being  taught;  and  after  eight 
weeks  all  but  nine  could  sign  the  payroll,  and  many 
of  them,  men  still  in  the  morning  of  their  manhood, 
received  such  an  inspiration  as  to  give  them  a 
desire  to  enter  school  after  their  return  to  the  States, 
and  it  is  known  to  be  true  that  some  of  them  are 
at  this  moment  enrolled  in  different  schools  and 
receiving  instruction. 

Mr.  Wright,  together  with  his  colleagues,  Mr. 
Nichols  and  Mr.  Hubert,  as  members  of  the  staff 
of  the  University  of  Beaune,  were  sent  out  singly 
and  as  a  team  to  lecture  and  hold  institutes  in  the 
different  sections  of  France  where  colored  troops 

206 


COLORED  MEMBERS  OF  ARMY  EDUCATIONAL  CORPS  AND 
SOME  UNIVERSITY  STUDENTS 

1.  Captain  D.  K.  Cherry.  2.  Secretary  Walter  X.  Nelson.  3.  Secretary 
William  H.  Crutcher.  4.  Secretary  Benjamin  F.  Hubert  and  group  of 
students  in  attendance  at  Universities  in  Paris.  5.  Secretary  Joseph 
L.  Whiting.  6.  Secretary  George  W.  Jackson.  7.  Secretary  John 
C.  Wright. 


TWO    COLORED    WOMEN    WITH    THE    A.    E.    F. 

were  located.  It  is  estimated  by  them  that  they 
reached  as  many  as  twenty  thousand  men,  and  im- 
pressed them  with  the  importance  of  community 
co-operation  and  collective  effort  in  bettering  the 
conditions  in  the  neighborhoods  where  their  civic 
lots  would  be  cast;  also  with  the  importance  of 
buying  land  and  taking  advantage  of  the  industrial 
opportunities  which  the  war  had  brought  about. 

The  other  five  members  of  the  colored  army  edu- 
cational corps  did  local  work.  Mr.  J.  L.  Whiting, 
who  had  formerly  been  educational  secretary  at 
Camp  Montoir,  near  St.  Nazaire,  and  who  had  al- 
ready done  splendid  work,  went  back  to  his  original 
field  of  labor.  Here  in  September,  1918,  he  began 
with  an  enrollment  of  forty,  in  classes  in  reading, 
writing,  arithmetic,  and  civics.  By  April,  1919, 
the  enrollment,  with  the  assistance  of  the  new  com- 
pulsory rule  of  the  army,  had  increased  to  868, 
with  19  soldiers  detailed  to  assist  in  the  work.  He 
found  that  there  were  more  than  1,000  troops 
below  the  fourth  grade,  who  would  be  glad  of  an 
opportunity  to  attend  school,  and  that  there  were 
in  every  company  of  colored  troops  as  many  as 
30  men  who  were  unable  to  sign  the  payroll.  Mr. 
Whiting  accomplished  wonderful  results  in  spite 
of  the  handicap  of  no  books,  no  suitable  accom- 
modations, and  for  a  considerable  time  no  regularly 
detailed  teachers. 

He  set  writing  copies  for  all  of  these  men  with 
his  own  hand,  taking  their  work  home  each  day  and 
reviewing  and  criticising  it.  He  held  classes  in 
the  mess  halls,  many  times  cold  and  damp  and  with 

14  207 


TWO    COLORED    WOMEN    WITH    THE    A.    E.    F. 

no  lights  except  that  which  could  be  gotten  by  the 
use  of  candles ;  and  by  the  close  of  the  work  he  had 
not  only  done  much  towards  wiping  out  the  X  (his 
mark)  sign  from  the  payroll,  but  had  given  them 
sufficient  foundation  for  the  acquiring  of  a  fair 
education. 

Mr.  George  W.  Jackson  had  been  assigned  by 
the  Y.  M.  C.  A.  to  be  Educational  Director  at  Is-sur- 
Tille.  Here  he  found  about  15,000  colored  sol- 
diers hailing  from  Tennessee,  Kentucky,  Georgia, 
Florida,  Mississippi,  Alabama,  Arkansas,  Louisi- 
ana and  Texas.  They  were  S.  0.  S.  troops,  work- 
ing just  back  of  the  combat  area.  Mr.  Jackson  was 
returned  here  by  the  army  to  complete  the  work 
started  by  the  Y.  M.  G.  A.  During  his  period  of 
service  here  he  learned  that  about  2,500  of  the 
colored  soldiers  had  very  limited  education  or  none 
at  all.  With  the  assistance  of  detailed  tutors  he 
was  able  to  eliminate  90  per  cent,  of  this  illiteracy 
in  about  three  months.  Most  of  them  learned  to 
sign  the  payroll  after  about  three  weeks'  instruc- 
tion, and  by  the  time  they  were  demobilized  fully 
one-third  had  written  letters  to  their  relatives  at 
home.  Classes  in  secondary  and  college  subjects 
were  also  held,  in  addition  to  instruction  in  French, 
bookkeeping,  current  topics,  and  the  Bible. 

Mr.  Thomas  A.  Clayton  was  secretary  in  charge 
of  the  educational  work  at  Camp  Ancona,  near 
Bordeaux,  where  on  January  10  an  Army  Post 
School  was  organized.  Of  6,987  men  in  camp  at 
this  time,  1,378  could  not  sign  the  payroll;  1,457 
had  had  four  years'  schooling  or  less;  584  had 

208 


TWO    COLORED    WOMEN    WITH    THE    A.    E.    F. 

attended  high  school,  and  137  had  attended  col- 
lege. By  the  close  of  the  work  367  illiterates  had 
learned  to  write  their  names.  Classes  in  French 
and  the  study  of  the  history  and  literature  of  the 
French  people  were  also  organized,  and  became 
very  popular  among  the  soldiers. 

Special  attention  was  given  at  this  school  to  the 
teaching  of  agriculture.  A  Farmers'  Institute  was 
held,  which  had  a  total  attendance  of  18,000  in 
three  days.  The  meetings  were  held  under  the 
auspices  of  Dr.  H.  Paul  Douglass,  of  Syracuse, 
N.  Y.,  and  farmers'  clubs  were  organized  and  a 
special  instructor  given  them.  In  all  classes,  in- 
cluding primary  and  elementary  subjects,  there 
were  503  students  enrolled. 

Mr.  W.  H.  Nelson  had  been  doing  educational 
work  at  Brest  under  many  handicaps.  For  a  long 
time  they  were  unable  to  get  a  Y.  M.  C.  A.  hut 
completed.  In  December,  1918,  the  writers  of 
this  volume  went  up  from  St.  Nazaire  to  visit  them. 
They  found  the  staff  of  two  secretaries  and  a  chap- 
lain struggling  along  as  best  they  could,  with  no 
floor  in  a  large  part  of  their  building  and  no  lights 
except  what  could  be  produced  by  the  use  of 
numerous  candles.  They  were  very  happy  to  see 
some  colored  women,  and  brought  us  a  bountiful 
supper  from  one  of  the  company  kitchens.  This 
we  ate  from  a  small,  bare  table,  by  the  light  of  one 
or  two  flickering  candles.  Then  the  writers  were 
placed  upon  a  box  to  elevate  them  a  little,  while 
they  talked  for  the  encouragement  of  the  soldiers 
who  gathered  in  a  small  room,  which  afterwards 

209 


TWO    COLORED    WOMEN    WITH    THE    A.    E.    F. 

became  the  school  room.  The  little  force  of  secre- 
taries was  badly  discouraged  because  they  were 
unable  to  secure  the  facilities  that  had  been  given 
to  other  huts,  but  by  dogged  determination  they 
finally  succeeded  in  finishing  a  beautiful  building 
which  was  kept  immaculately  clean  in  spite  of  the 
fact  that  they  were  never  able  to  secure  any  women 
secretaries.  To  this  place  Mr.  Nelson  was  re- 
turned after  he  became  a  member  of  the  army  edu- 
cational corps,  and  continued  his  work  of  teaching. 
He  had  about  1,000  illiterates  in  the  camp  whom  he 
attempted  to  reach.  Of  this  number  a  total  of 
372  actually  received  valuable  training. 

In  addition  to  the  army's  taking  over  the  entire 
educational  work  of  the  Y.  M.  C.  A.,  it  provided 
means  by  which  a  limited  number  of  graduate 
students  would  have  an  opportunity  to  attend  the 
great  universities  of  France  and  England;  at  the 
same  time  it  established  the  American  University 
for  undergraduates  at  Beaune,  Cote  d'Or.  This 
school  provided  facilities  for  training  in  all  college 
courses  as  well  as  vocational  and  technical  subjects, 
and  brought  over  from  the  States  a  corps  of  the 
very  best  instructors  that  could  be  secured.  It 
also  utilized  much  of  the  splendid  ability  already 
in  the  army.  The  French  Minister  of  Education 
loaned  the  school  a  corps  of  experienced  French 
teachers,  who  were  supplemented  through  the 
courtesy  of  the  French  Minister  of  War. 

Post  and  Division  Schools  were  established  in 
connection  with  the  university,  the  purpose  of  the 
Division  School  being  to  accommodate  all  who  were 

210 


STUDENTS  AT  UNIVERSITY  OF  LONDON 


1.  J.   Douglass   Sheppard.      2.  James  L.    Moran. 
4.   Ulysses    S.    Young.      5.   Henry    L.    Marriott. 


3.  E.   M.   Brewington. 

-  o-      -.  ry    L,.    Marriott.      6.  Walter   A.    Powers. 

7.  Milton    F.    Fields.      8.  Ulysses    S.    Donaldson.      9.  Leonard    Barnett. 


TWO    COLORED    WOMEN    WITH    THE    A.    E.    F. 

not  qualified  to  enter  the  university  proper.  Here 
were  taught  vocational  courses  and  academic  and 
commercial  subjects  of  high  school  grades.  The 
Post  School  was  composed  of  those  who  needed 
elementary  training  in  English,  arithmetic,  and 
citizenship  and  of  men  who  were  unable  to  read  and 
write  the  English  language.  Special  provision  was 
made  for  a  Post  School  for  colored  soldiers  with 
colored  instructors,  but  it  never  materialized.  To 
attend  the  university  came  120  colored  soldiers 
who  matriculated  in  the  College  of  Arts  and  Let- 
ters, Agriculture,  Science,  Journalism,  and  Music. 
Colored  American  soldiers  from  all  parts  of 
France  made  application  for  admission  to  the 
Foreign  Universities.  In  some  places  they  were 
told  that  colored  soldiers  were  not  allowed  to 
attend,  and  every  effort  was  made  to  get  the  young 
officers  of  the  92nd  Division  out  of  France  before 
they  could  make  application  for  the  coveted  privi- 
lege and  thereby  embarrass  the  army.6  We  have 
learned  of  only  one  whose  application  was  not  re- 
fused, that  of  Capt.  D.  K.  Cherry  of  A.  &  T.  Col- 
lege, Greensboro,  N.  C.,  who  attended  the  Univer- 
sity of  Bordeaux.  Several  non-commissioned 
officers  were  admitted,  however,  and  in  the  Univer- 
sity of  London  nine  matriculated — Corporal  James 
D.  Sheppard,  Peoria,  111.,  Engineering;  1st  Sergt. 
Leonard  Barnett,  Fleming,  Ohio,  Psychology,  Eng- 
lish, and  Methods  in  Education ;  Ulysses  S.  Donald- 
son, Terre  Haute,  Ind.,  English  Literature;  1st 
Sergt.  W.  A.  Powers,  Xenia,  Ohio,  Music  and  Phi- 
losophy; 1st  Sergt.  E.  H.  Brewington,  Salisbury, 

211 


TWO    COLORED    WOMEN    WITH    THE    A.    E.    F. 

Md.,  History  and  Literature;  Sergt.  U.  S.  Young, 
Madison,  N.  J.,  Philosophy  and  Psychology;  Sergt. 
Milton  F.  Fields,  Des  Moines,  Iowa;  James  L. 
Moran,  Lancaster,  Mass.,  Astronomy,  and  Henry 
0.  Mariott,  of  Boley,  Okla. 

Four  entered  the  University  at  Bordeaux,  one  the 
University  of  Toulouse,  one  the  University  of 
Marseilles,  and  seven  the  different  universities  in 
Paris — Charles  S.  Wilkerson,  Phar.D.,  Pittsburg, 
Pa. ;  Charles  A.  Johnson,  Phar.D.,  Columbia,  S.  C. ; 
Oscar  S.  Johnson,  B.  S.,  Louisville,  Ky. ;  Thomas 
Williams,  Phar.D.,  Patterson,  La.;  George  Wash- 
ington Mitchell,  A.B.,  Marshall,  Tex.;  Clarence 
Glead,  Phar.D.,  Lawrence,  Kan.,  and  Mr.  McKen- 
zie,  a  lawyer  from  Richmond,  Va. 

Mention  should  be  made  also  of  the  Army  Candi- 
date School  at  Langres,  France.  The  school  was 
located  at  Fort  Dela  Bonnelle,  and  62  non-com- 
missioned officers  representing  all  the  colored  com- 
bat regiments  in  France  were  enrolled  there.  Of 
this  number,  one  sergeant  died,  two  became  ill  at 
examination  time,  and  56  received  commissions. 
This  was  the  best  record  for  the  proportion  receiv- 
ing commissions  of  all  the  17  platoons  represented 
there.  Of  this  number  all  whose  initials  ranged 
from  A  to  D  were  sent  to  the  370th  Infantry;  the 
others  were  distributed  throughout  the  92nd  Divi- 
sion. The  325th  Signal  Corps  Battalion  attended 
school  at  Gondricourt,  and  made  one  of  the  best 
records  of  any  battalion  from  the  standpoint  of 
hardworking  students  and  improved  efficiency, 
while  the  five  colored  company  officers  of  the  167th 

212 


TWO    COLORED    WOMEN    WITH    THE    A.    E.    F. 

F.  A.  attended  school  at  La  Cortrine,  and  the 
colonel  in  charge  of  the  school  reported  that  they 
made  the  best  record  for  studiousness  and  work 
accomplished  in  a  period  of  two  weeks  of  any 
American  units  in  a  given  length  of  time. 

There  were  other  schools  where  some  colored 
soldiers  secured  training  in  wireless  telegraphy 
and  other  technical  subjects,  and  33  2nd  lieutenants 
received  instruction  at  the  French  Artillery  School 
at  Vannes.  While  visiting  that  city  during  their 
period  of  training  there,  the  writers  were  told  by  a 
French  general  with  whom  they  conversed  while 
waiting  for  a  train,  that  these  men  all  showed 
superior  mental  capacity,  and  were  much  loved 
by  all  the  French  citizens  because  of  their  splendid 
behavior  and  gentility  of  manners. 

Another  phase  of  educational  work  among  the 
troops  was  the  developing  of  libraries.  In  this 
work  the  American  Library  Association  was  the 
moving  spirit.  Thousands  of  volumes  of  books 
were  contributed  to  this  Association  by  the  Amer- 
ican people,  and  the  Y.  M.  C.  A.  acted  as  a  medium 
by  which  they  were  placed  within  reach  of  the 
soldiers.  This  offered  a  special  opportunity  for 
colored  welfare  workers  to  give  another  kind  of 
training  to  soldiers  that  thousands  were  unable  to 
get  in  their  home  cities.  In  very  few  cities  in  the 
South  are  any  library  facilities  provided  for  the 
colored  people.  They  are  not  permitted  to  go  into 
the  public  libraries,  and  only  a  few  cities  have 
colored  Branch  Carnegie  Libraries,  such  as  Louis- 
ville or  Houston,  or  a  colored  library  established 

213 


TWO    COLORED    WOMEN    WITH    THE   A.    E.    F. 

through  other  channels  such  as  the  one  in  Guthrie, 
Oklahoma.  As  a  result,  thousands  of  men  coming 
from  the  South  had  no  training  in  the  use  of  libra- 
ries, and  special  attention  had  to  be  given  every- 
where to  instituting  and  teaching  booklending 
systems;  otherwise  all  books  would  have  disap- 
peared in  a  day  or  two,  not  to  be  read  always,  but 
to  be  utilized  in  various  and  sundry  ways  such  as 
a  hiding  place  for  letters,  or  a  pad  upon  which  to 
write.  In  time  they  all  learned,  however,  to  bor- 
row and  return  books  in  a  given  time,  and  the 
library  soon  became  the  most  popular  place  about 
the  hut.  It  was  always  kept  warm  and  attractive 
and  it  was  the  only  place  about  the  hut  where  one 
could  make  himself  comfortable  in  an  arm  or 
steamer  chair.  Through  the  generosity  of  the 
American  public,  magazines  and  periodicals  be- 
came plentiful  after  the  Armistice  was  signed,  and 
the  soldiers  would  tarry  late,  often  until  taps, 
before  they  would  tear  themselves  away  from  the 
news  item  which  brought  such  interesting  infor- 
mation from  home. 

Large  and  valuable  libraries  were  established 
for  the  colored  soldiers  at  Camp  Lusitania,  and  the 
Embarkation  Camps  at  St.  Nazaire,  in  the  Leave 
Area  .at  Challes-les-Eaux,  at  Camp  Romagne,  at 
Camp  President  Lincoln,  Brest,  and  at  the  two 
colored  huts  at  Camp  Pontanezen,  and  were  of 
invaluable  service  in  educational  and  cultural  work 
among  the  soldiers.  Through  these  channels  and 
the  opportunities  offered  through  the  different 
Y.  M.  C.  A.  and  Army  Schools,  the  colored  men 

214 


1.   Library   at   Camp    Lusitania,    St.    Nazaire,    France.      2.      Colored   College 

Students   at  University  of   Beaune.     3.    Colored    Students   in   Farm   School, 

University   of   Beaune. 


TWO    COLORED    WOMEN    WITH    THE    A.    E.    F. 

received  a  new  impetus  and  a  new  vision,  and  with 
the  assistance  of  the  training  that  comes  from 
travel  and  contact,  have  returned  to  their  homes 
better  equipped  for  citizenship  and  future  service 
to  their  race  than  they  possibly  could  have  been 
otherwise  through  all  the  years  of  a  lifetime. 


215 


"They  said  they  were  too  slow,  too  dull,  too  this  and 

that  to  do  it, 

They  couldn't  match  the  method  of  the  Hun, 
And  then  to  arm  a  million — why,  the  land  would  surely 

rue  it 

If  a  million  blacks  were  taught  to  use  a  gun. 
But  right  won  out,  and  they  went  in  at  all  detractors 

smiling ; 

They  learned  as  quick  as  any  how  to  shoot, 
They  took  the  prize  at  loading  ships,  and  riveting  and 

piling, 

And  trained  a  thousand  officers  to  boot. 
And  when  they  went  they  took  a  boon  no  others  had 

been  bringing, 

For  whether  with  a  pick  or  with  a  gun, 
They   lightened   every   labor  with   a   wondrous   sort   of 

singing, 

And  turned  the  pall  of  battle  into  fun. 
0,  the  Frenchman  was  a  marvel,  and  the  Yankee  was 

a  wonder, 

And  the  British  line  was  like  a  granite  wall, 
But  for  singing  as  they  leaped  away  to  draw  the  Kaiser's 

thunder, 
The  swarthy  sons  of  Dixie  beat  them  all." 

LESLIE  PINCKNEY  HILL. 


216 


The  Salvation  of  Music  Overseas 


THOSE  who  know  the  native  love  and  ability  of 
our  race  for  music  will  not  marvel  at  the  state- 
ment that  colored  soldiers  sang,  whistled  and 
played  their  way  through  the  late  war.  There 
were  days  of  hunger  and  thirst;  days  full  of 
deathly  fatigue;  days  filled  with  the  dense  smoke 
and  deafening  uproar  of  battle ;  days  when  terrible 
discriminations  and  prejudices  ate  into  the  soul 
deeper  than  the  oppressors  knew.  But  through  it 
all  there  was  salvation — the  salvation  of  the  music 
that  welled  so  naturally  in  the  souls  of  the  colored 
soldiers.  In  the  midst  of  the  French  the  artistic 
temperament  of  our  soldiers  found  a  warm  wel- 
come and  a  favorable  atmosphere  in  which  to  un- 
fold and  find  full  expression;  and,  although  it 
manifested  itself  in  many  ways,  it  found  no  other 
realm  half  so  alluring  as  that  of  music.  Individu- 
ally and  in  groups,  colored  soldiers  gave  them- 
selves to  the  enjoyment  or  serious  study  of  music. 
In  the  hut  the  average  life  of  a  piano  was  but  of 
short  duration.  Every  moment  from  early  dawn  to 
late  night,  this  instrument  was  in  constant  use. 
One  became  so  accustomed  to  its  continuous  sounds 
as  to  be  unconscious  of  them.  We  returned  to 
America  hoping  that  for  the  remainder  of  our 
lives  we  might  be  spared  hearing  any  form  of 
"Blues,"  for  whatever  else  he  might  play,  a  fellow 
would  finally  finish  with  a  touching  rendition  of 
some  one  of  the  many  "Blues." 

217 


TWO    COLORED    WOMEN    WITH    THE    A.    E.    F. 

There  were  melodies  of  joy  and  melodies  of 
sorrow.  We  heard  our  soldiers  on  the  coast  of 
France  chanting  in  unfailing  rhythm  as  they  un- 
loaded the  great  cargoes  from  America.  We  heard 
them  in  Southern  France  singing  in  joyous  abandon 
as  they  sailed  Lake  Bourget,  ascended  Mount 
Revard  or  hiked  up  to  Hannibal's  Pass  in  the  Alps. 
We  heard  them  in  the  night  watches  at  Romagne 
as  they  tenderly  reburied  their  comrades  who  had 
fallen  on  the  fields  of  battle.  We  heard  them  at 
the  port  again,  as  they  looked  longingly  towards 
America  and  sang,  "There's  a  long,  long  trail." 
Ever  in  our  ears  will  we  hear  the  harmony  of  those 
thousands  of  voices  as  they  were  blended  in  song 
for  religious  service,  for  the  speed  of  work  or 
for  mere  pleasure.  Always  this  music  breathed  a 
wistful  poignancy,  but  always  it  breathed,  too,  the 
matchless  will  and  spirit  of  the  race  who  sang. 
Nothing  strengthened  more  the  bond  of  loving  sym- 
pathy that  existed  between  the  French  and  colored 
American  than  this  musical  temperament.  Our 
bands  played  their  way  into  the  very  souls  of  the 
French. 

And  these  bands  that  always  filled  us  with  mar- 
tial pride  and  dispelled  all  fear  and  dread!  We 
think  of  one  night  in  our  camp.  The  807th 
Pioneer  Infantry  would  entrain  on  tomorrow  for 
the  front.  Under  its  enthusiastic  and  highly  pro- 
gressive bandmaster,  Lieutenant  Vodrey,  this  regi- 
mental band  was  giving  its  last  show.  Hundreds 
of  black  and  white  men  filled  every  inch  of  the 
spacious  hut  from  floor  to  rafter.  In  the  front  rows 

218 


1.   Lieut.  James  Reese  Europe  and  Men  of  the  15th  New  York.     2.   Band 

Master  Oliver  Mead.     3.  Band  of  the  815th  Pioneer  Infantry,  with  Men 

on   leave,   at   Challes-les-Eaux. 


TWO    COLORED    WOMEN    WITH    THE    A.    E.    F. 

sat  the  regimental  officers,  camp  officers  and  French 
friends.  All  eyes  centered  upon  the  stage  where 
either  the  orchestra  of  fifty  men  was  playing  or 
Opal  Cooper  was  singing  in  the  sweetest  and  most 
expressive  tones,  or  the  men  were  demonstrating 
by  act  or  stunt  their  wit  and  humor.  The  hut 
rang  with  applause  or  laughter  all  that  wonderful 
evening.  Fun  and  merriment  ran  high  during  the 
rather  ambitious  hut  reception  given  the  band  after 
that  evening's  entertainment,  for  they  were  trying  to 
eat  salad  and  sherbet  without  the  use  of  forks  and 
spoons  which  they  had  been  told  to  bring  but  had 
quite  promptly  forgotten.  It  was  rather  difficult  to 
realize  that  tomorrow  those  men  would  be  facing 
toward  the  thundering  guns  at  the  front.  We  heard 
of  the  807th  band  again  and  again  as  it  won  honors 
in  France,  playing  before  the  crowned  heads  of  the 
Allies;  of  their  band  leader  making  an  enviable 
record  at  a  French  band  school,  and  finally  we 
met  them  again  at  Brest.  There,  with  a  pardonable 
pride,  we  bade  them  bon  voyage  as  they  returned 
home  triumphantly  bearing  their  laurels. 

The  fame  of  Europe's  Band, -as  it  was  familiarly 
called,  spread  over  all  France  as  well  as  America. 
One  single  occasion  on  which  we  were  permitted  to 
hear  this  band  in  France  is  worthy  of  note.  We 
had  been  honored  as  delegates  to  the  Conference 
of  Allied  Women  held  in  Paris  in  August,  1918. 
The  program,  the  delegates,  entertainment,  every- 
thing, including  the  garden  party  tendered  by 
President  and  Mme.  Poincare,  the  afternoon 
at  the  home  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Theodore  Roosevelt, 

219 


TWO    COLORED    WOMEN    WITH    THE    A.    E.    F. 

* 

Jr.,  and  the  banquet  at  the  Palais  d'Orsay  had  quite 
won  our  hearty  interest  and  admiration  and  we  had 
reached  the  final  and  crowning  session  of  the 
Conference.  The  great  Theatre  Elysees  was 
crowded,  although  the  lights  were  yet  turned  low. 
Someone  informed  us  that  the  orchestra  in  the  pit 
was  composed  of  colored  men.  Immediately  we 
came  to  our  feet.  Try  as  we  might  we  could  not 
see  the  men,  but  the  leader,  Lieutenant  Europe, 
sat  elevated,  and  so  we  recognized  him.  In  spite 
of  the  addresses  by  great  personages,  in  spite 
of  the  royal  opera  singer  and  the  wonderful  chorus, 
for  the  remainder  of  that  evening  our  thoughts 
centered  themselves  about  this  band  of  colored 
Americans  playing  before  the  elite  of  Europe  and 
America.  It  was  a  significant  moment  when,  with 
a  great  martial  note,  this  band  of  the  15th  New 
York  Infantry  began  the  French  National  Hymn, 
summoning  the  great  audience  to  its  feet  as 
President  Poincaire  and  party  entered  their  box. 
Time  and  time  again  the  playing  of  these  colored 
Americans  thrilled  the  house  into  rapturous  ap- 
plause. After  the  audience  had  been  dismissed 
and  the  lights  again  turned  low,  admiring  friends, 
among  whom  were  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Theodore 
Roosevelt,  Jr.,  stood  by  and  the  band  played  on 
lingeringly  and  tenderly  as  if  somewhere  voices 
were  whispering  that  it  would  be  one  of  the  last 
great  triumphs  of  its  famous  leader. 

Music  was  one  of  the  chief  attractions  furnished 
by  the  Leave  Area  for  the  tired,  depressed  men  who 

220 


TWO    COLORED    WOMEN    WITH    THE    A.    E.    F. 

were  sent  there  for  rest  and  recreation.  There  came 
the  803rd  Pioneer  Infantry  Band  under  the  capable 
direction  of  Sergeant  Major  Bailey.  These  men 
gave  us  so  much  joy  and  entertainment  in  their 
playing  that  not  only  did  the  Y  make  efforts  to 
have  them  retained  permanently  in  the  Leave  Area, 
but  the  French  people  were  quite  as  eager  to 
have  them,  and  showered  praises  and  flowers  on 
them  when  at  last  they  were  ordered  back  to  their 
regiment. 

Then  came  the  815th  with  their  fine  Western 
pride  and  spirit  playing  their  way,  too,  into  the 
heart  of  the  Area.  We  met  them  again  at  Romagne 
when,  with  the  band  of  the  816th  Pioneer  Regiment, 
they  were  playing  daily  to  counteract  the  depress- 
ing influences  of  their  surroundings.  We  stood  near 
them  and  watched  with  tear-filled  eyes  as  they  paid 
their  humble  homage  on  that  memorable  thirtieth 
of  May  when  General  Pershing  had  come  to  dedi- 
cate that  largest  military  cemetery.  We  were 
with  them  again  at  the  Port  of  Brest  where,  with 
their  wonderfully  stirring  music  they,  too,  fought 
in  that  battle  for  morale.  We  learned  to  know 
them  well — those  California  lads — and  to  love 
them. 

No  finer  men  went  to  France  than  the  men  who 
composed  the  802nd  Pioneer  Infantry,  and  that 
may  account  for  the  really  high  quality  of  the  work 
of  its  band.  No  band  seemed  to  adhere  quite  so 
closely  to  classical  selections,  and  they  would  most 
naturally  draw  the  French  to  their  feet  whenever 

221 


TWO    COLORED    WOMEN    WITH    THE    A.    E.    F. 

and  wherever  they  played.  While  resting  in  the 
Leave  Area,  they  graciously  gave  us  several  con- 
certs. 

We  followed  the  history  of  the  St.  Nazaire  Band 
with  a  certain  pride  and  interest  because,  in  the 
early  days  when  we  entered  that  town  it  was  a 
small  struggling  group  with  but  few  instruments, 
the  sounds  from  which  can  be  but  faintly  described 
by  the  word  horrible.  It  was  encouraged  by  the 
Young  Men's  Christian  Association,  who  gave  it 
a  thousand  dollars  for  instruments  and  music.  We 
watched  this  band  grow  and  lose  its  crudeness  with 
almost  incredible  rapidity,  until  a  year  later,  when 
it  visited  the  Leave  Area,  it  was  our  joy  and  pride. 
It  is  sad  to  record  that  at  the  very  zenith  of  popular- 
ity, its  history  was  saddened  by  the  sudden  and 
tragic  death  of  Sergeant  Stevenson,  the  assistant 
bandmaster,  who  fell  from  a  pole  at  Chambery. 
Again  the  beautiful  French  spirit  was  demonstrated 
by  the  populace  of  the  town  in  a  mass  of  floral 
offerings  at  the  funeral  of  this  soldier.  Always 
with  the  French  it  was  "Wos  fleurs  et  nos  coeurs." 
The  writer  shall  always  have  a  peculiar  remem- 
brance of  the  St.  Nazaire  band,  for  at  the  time  of 
the  signing  of  the  armistice  she  had  succumbed  to 
a  serious  illness  as  a  result  of  overexertion.  For  a 
day  or  two  the  outer  world  was  rather  vague  to 
her  consciousness,  but  she  was  brought  back  when 
the  band  passed  the  house  playing  with  full  tone 
and  complete  abandon  "Over  There."  Looking 
into  the  face  of  her  associate  she  learned  that  the 
armistice  had  been  signed  and  that  this  playing 

222 


1.  Bugler  Hamilton  White.     2.  Band  Leader  Wm.  Bailey.     3.  Sgt.  Jefferson, 

Saxaphonist.    4.  St.  Nazaire  Band.     5.  Band  of  the  802d  Pioneer  Infantry. 

6.     Band  of  the  803d  Pioneer  Infantry. 


TWO    COLORED    WOMEN    WITH    THE    A.    E.    F. 

was  but  an  incident  of  the  jubilation  that  had  been 
in  progress  for  several  hours. 

The  Regimental  Band  of  the  805th  Pioneer  In- 
fantry was  organized  very  late,  but  it  became 
famous  overnight,  especially  at  Chateau  Chehery, 
near  Grand  Pre.  The  Regimental  Headquarters 
were  in  the  famous  and  beautiful  Chateau  de 
Chehery,  and  there  the  band  entertained  the  French, 
British  and  Americans  of  high  rank  who  were  con- 
stant visitors. 

The  story  of  the  808th  band  who  had  the  honor 
of  playing  for  President  Wilson  as  he  sailed  home 
from  Brest  in  June,  is  best  told  by  one  of  its  mem- 
bers who  wrote  this  letter  while  they  were  in 
France : 

"When  they  left  Camp  Meade  the  watchword  was  'Over 
There,'  and  as  the  band  of  the  dashing  808th  Pioneer  In- 
fantry played  that  tuneful  strain  upon  leaving  the  good 
old  United  States  of  America,  they  gave  courage  and  cheer 
to  the  three  thousand  boys  in  line,  and  filled  the  hearts 
of  wives,  sweethearts,  mothers  and  friends  with  that  kind 
of  spirit  which  wins  wars — an  unbreakable  faith.  But 
I  am  to  tell  you  of  these  boys  'Over  There'  and  I  am  to 
get  my  story  from  the  spontaneous  expression  of  boys 
who  just  needed  a  strain  of  some  good  old  'rag'  or 
quaint  Irish  ballad  to  spur  them  on  to  the  next  town 
or  a  beautiful  symphony  to  lull  them  off  to  sleep  as 
they  lay  in  pain  on  their  cots. 

"This  band  of  colored  musicians  has  indeed  upheld 
the  tradition  of  its  race,  for  their  music  contributes  much 
to  make  the  name  of  the  808th  Pioneer  Infantry  popular 
at  the  front.  To  begin  with,  they  are  right  at  the  front 
being  only  a  few  kilometers  behind  the  line,  and  although 
in  danger  of  attracting  the  attention  of  hostile  forces, 

15  223 


TWO    COLORED    WOMEN    WITH    THE    A.    E.    F. 

they  realize  that  the  spirit  of  the  boys  must  be  kept 
cheerful  and  refreshed.  So,  often  they  assemble  in  a 
well  protected  spot  and  play  for  the  constant  line  of 
khaki  as  it  moves  along  the  road  toward  the  enemy.  And 
how  those  boys  enjoy  the  music  only  they  can  tell.  But 
from  the  quickened  step,  the  straightened  shoulders  and 
the  whistling  and  singing,  one  can  really  feel  the  re- 
freshing and  satisfying  effects  of  the  band.  When  the 
band  stops  playing,  however,  there  is  no  question  as  to 
the  appreciation  of  the  music,  for  from  hundreds  of 
throats  comes  the  cry,  'Carry  On!' 

"There  is  small  wonder,  though,  that  these  boys  have 
developed  into  such  a  well-balanced  band,  for  when  one 
meets  the  'Chief,'  as  he  is  familiarly  known  among  his 
fellow  officers,  the  reason  is  easily  explained.  With  a 
natural  talent  for  music,  the  'Chief  combines  years  of 
training  as  bandmaster  and  leader.  It  was  he,  Lieuten- 
ant James  E.  Wheelock,  who  brought  to  the  Carlisle 
Indian  School  athletic  prowess  which  struck  terror  in 
the  hearts  of  all  followers  of  the  pigskin  in  the  East, 
and  he  also  developed  the  Carlisle  Indian  School  band 
into  one  of  national  repute,  so  now  it  is  he,  realizing  the 
power  of  music,  who  adds  his  talent  and  leadership  to 
the  one  great  end.  I  must  not  fail,  however,  to  give  due 
credit  to  the  boys  under  his  brilliant  instruction.  Natur- 
ally gifted  as  musicians'  and  with  deep  love  for  it,  these 
colored  boys  have  developed  into  a  respected  organiza- 
tion, and  with  a  realization  of  their  power,  they  have  un- 
hesitatingly given  their  services  where  they  might  cheer 
some  homesick  boy  or  ease  the  pain  of  those  suffering 
from  wounds  of  battle.  Transported  in  trucks  through 
mud  and  rain,  they  have  gone  miles  to  play  in  hospitals 
and  rest  camps,  and  have  brought  to  our  nurses  some 
little  respite  from  the  constant  cry  of  pain. 

"These  boys  have  also  developed  other  features  which 
bid  fair  to  permit  them  always  to  retain  a  warm  spot  in 
the  hearts  of  the  boys  of  the  American  Expeditionary 

224 


TWO    COLORED    WOMEN    WITH    THE    A.    E.    F. 

Forces.  Could  you  but  hear  Terry  and  Bloxson  pull  off 
their  skit  entitled  'Sick  Call  in  the  Army'  in  that  dis- 
mantled stable  which  the  fellows  have  the  nerve  to  call 
a  theatre,  or  could  you  hear  the  melodious  string  quar- 
tette, or  a  beautiful  saxophone  solo,  or  the  sweet  voices 
of  the  band,  you,  too,  would  do  as  the  hundreds  of  boys 
do  who  crowd  that  place  every  Monday — jump  to  your 
feet  crying  'Carry  On!'  Let  us  thank  these  boys  and 
Lieutenant  Wheelock  for  their  unselfish  spirit." 

Other  regiments,  combatant  and  non-combatant, 
had  their  bands  that  won  honor  and  praise  in  the 
same  way  as  the  few  did  with  whom  we  had  per- 
sonal touch,  and  then  there  were  great  numbers  of 
singers  and  shows.  In  any  camp  an  impromptu- 
musical  program  was  not  far  to  seek. 

But  everywhere  the  music  of  the  colored  soldier 
was  a  faithful  index  of  the  spirit  behind  the  song. 
There  might  be  heard  painfully  monotonous  or 
sombre  chords — but  wait  a  little  and  the  atmos- 
phere would  change.  There  would  come  creeping 
into  the  music  aspiration  and  elevation.  Always 
the  psychologist  could  discern  the  sorrow,  pain  and 
rebellion  of  souls  that  suffered  unjustly,  but  always 
he  would  also  discern  through  the  exaltation  and 
nobility  of  the  music  that  its  fundamental  basis  was 
faith  and  vision. 


225 


Lo,  I  am  with  you  alway,  even  unto  the  end  of  the 
world.— Matthew  28:20. 


226 


Religious   Life   Among  the   Troops 

A  LTHOUGH  the  church  as  an  organization  and 
-£*•  as  the  most  direct  exponent  of  the  Prince  of 
Peace,  had  no  part  in  the  welfare  work  during  the 
war,  yet  it  was  the  contributing  and  inspirational 
force  behind  the  organizations  and  individuals  who 
played  such  an  important  part  in  the  developing 
and  the  maintaining  of  the  morale  of  the  soldiers 
of  the  American  Expeditionary  Forces.  The  chap- 
lains were  direct,  but  not  official  representatives  of 
the  church,  while  the  Y.  M.  C.  A.,  the  Y.  W.  C.  A., 
the  Knights  of  Columbus,  the  Salvation  Army, 
and  the  Jewish  Welfare  Board  were  direct  out- 
growths of  the  church  or  religious  spirit  in  Amer- 
ica ;  and  while  the  great  war  was  apparently  a  com- 
plete and  tangible  evidence  of  the  failure  of  Chris- 
tianity among  Christian  nations,  still  there  was 
abundant  manifestation  everywhere  that  within  the 
hearts  of  men  there  was  a  deep  and  abiding  faith  in 
the  great  Ruler  of  the  Universe,  and  a  certain  con- 
viction that  the  great  world  cataclysm  was  a  result 
of  the  dogged  and  persistent  determination  of  the 
peoples  engaged  therein  to  ignore  the  principles 
in  practice  that  they  had  so  loudly  preached  to  the 
world. 

Although  to  some  it  was  tremendously  puzzling 
that  a  great  human  machine  that  had  been  built  up 
for  the  purpose  of  killing  men,  should  at  the  same 
time  set  agencies  into  operation  to  teach  and  preach 
the  doctrines  of  Christ,  yet  they  were  willing  to 

227 


TWO    COLORED    WOMEN    WITH    THE    A.    E.    F. 

overlook  the  seeming  paradox  and  gather  in  large 
numbers  to  hear  the  gospel,  to  study  the  Word 
itself,  to  pray,  and  not  least  of  all,  to  sing  as  only 
dark-skinned  Americans  can  sing,  either  the  won- 
derful spirituals  that  were  born  of  the  travail  of  an 
oppressed  and  bleeding  people,  or  the  more  stately 
hymns  and  songs  that  were  published  in  a  million 
gospel  song  books  that  were  distributed  throughout 
the  American  Expeditionary  Forces. 

The  Y.  M.  C.  A.  had  a  regularly  organized  re- 
ligious program  which  it  put  into  operation  with 
more  or  less  success;  it  secured  the  services  of 
Dr.  Henry  Churchill  King,  President  of  Oberlin 
College,  as  Director  of  the  Religious  Department  in 
France.  He  had  offices  in  Paris,  and  a  large  field 
force  to  put  into  operation  his  plan  of  carrying  the 
gospel  to  the  soldiers.  Evangelistic  singers  and 
speakers  traveled  from  place  to  place  talking  and 
singing  to  the  soldiers  as  they  congregated  in  the 
Y.  M.  C.  A.  huts.  There  was  a  religious  director 
also  for  every  region,  who  kept  in  direct  touch  with 
the  work  of  religious  secretaries  who  were  supposed 
to  be  stationed  at  each  hut.  The  personnel  of  the 
colored  welfare  workers,  however,  was  so  limited 
in  number  that  there  were  not  enough  religious 
secretaries  to  supply  the  demand;  and  there  were 
only  about  50  colored  chaplains  in  the  entire 
A.  E.  F.;  as  a  result,  all  who  would  were  invited 
to  help  in  this  all-important  work  of  the  Y.  M.  C.  A. 
Many  of  the  soldiers  were  always  willing  and 
anxious  to  assist  in  every  possible  way,  while  some 
of  the  Y  women  gave  much  time  to  this  phase  of 

228 


GROUP  OF  RELIGIOUS  WORKERS 

1.  Chaplain  R.  A.   McAllister  and  Orderly  at  Camp  Pontanezen,  Brest. 

2.  Chaplain  M.  M.  Jefferson,  at  Camp  Lusitania,  St.  Nazaire.     3.  Secre- 
tary   B.    F.    Selden    and    Chaplain    George    Shippen    Stark,    on    Vosges 

Front.     4.   Chaplains  Wallace  and  Robeson  with  369th   Infantry. 


TWO    COLORED    WOMEN    WITH    THE    A.    E.    F. 

welfare  work;  the  writer,  with  the  assistance  of 
interested  soldiers,  organized  a  Bible  class  in  a  hut 
where  there  hitherto  had  been  only  one  religious 
service  a  week,  attended  by  from  60  to  100  men 
out  of  a  camp  of  3,500.  The  Bible  class  grew  and 
gathered  strength  until  a  colored  chaplain  was 
finally  stationed  at  Camp  Lusitania,  which  by  that 
time  had  grown  to  a  camp  of  9,000. 

Some  hut  secretaries  were  especially  fitted  for 
religious  work,  and  filled  the  place  of  a  religious 
worker  in  a  splendid  manner.  Such  a  man  was 
Mr.  William  Stevenson,  who  initiated  and  built 
the  work  at  Camp  Montoir.  Rev.  T.  A.  Griffith, 
hut  secretary  at  Camp  Guthrie,  near  St.  Nazaire, 
was  another  such  messenger  of  the  gospel,  and  dur- 
ing three  months  of  service  had  300  ^accessions  to 
the  church;  the  names  of  all  such  men  were  en- 
rolled on  special  blanks  supplied  by  the  Y.  M. 
C.  A.,  and  sent  to  the  churches  at  home  of  which 
they  desired  to  become  members.  Of  course  this 
was  work  such  as  was  to  be  expected  of  any  min- 
ister, but  nevertheless  there  were  some  who  did  not 
avail  themselves  of  the  opportunity.  Another  such 
Y.  M.  C.  A.  secretary  was  Mr.  E.  T.  Banks,  of 
Dayton,  Ohio.  Hundreds  would  go  into  battle 
after  having  followed  him  in  silent  prayer,  with 
knees  bent  and  faces  lifted  toward  heaven,  in  the 
land  where  now  "The  poppies  blow,  between  the 
crosses,  row  on  row,"  and  where  many  of  them  at 
this  moment  "Rest  sweet  and  deep,  in  Flanders 
Fields." 

229 


TWO    COLORED    WOMEN    WITH    THE    A.    E.    F. 

In  addition  to  the  work  done  through  the  Y.  M. 
C.  A.  religious  workers  and  chaplains,  thousands 
of  pieces  of  religious  literature  were  distributed, 
including  pocket  editions  of  the  New  Testament, 
Psalms,  and  Gospels.  These  were  placed  in  litera- 
ture cases  so  that  the  men  could  select  those  which 
interested  them  most,  and  always  the  New  Testa- 
ment or  small  extracts  from  the  Bible  would  have 
the  largest  circulation. 

To  those  of  us  who  went  over  to  cast  our  lots 
with  the  boys  in  khaki,  nothing  was  quite  so  inspir- 
ing and  so  helpful  as  to  hear  them  tell  of  their  faith 
in  God,  or  to  give  utterance  to  a  prayer  that  bespoke 
the  upward  groping  of  a  soul,  or  to  hear  a  thousand 
voices,  deep  and  rich  and  rhythmic,  bring  heaven 
into  a  sacred  and  almost  visible  nearness,  with  sing- 
ing that  seemed  nothing  less  than  a  special  bene- 
diction to  a  peculiar  people.  This  was  a  priceless 
gift,  in  a  country  where  all  the  people  spoke  a  dif- 
ferent tongue,  and  where  the  great  organs  in  the 
cathedrals  welled  forth  the  only  language  that 
brought  forth  a  gospel  message  to  a  stranger  in  a 
strange  land. 

In  the  midst  of  oppression,  circumscription,  in- 
trigue, and  false  and  wicked  propaganda  spread 
against  them  by  their  own  countrymen,  these  col- 
ored soldiers  fought  as  bravely  as  any  Americans 
overseas,  and  worked  with  a  greater  will;  and  as 
you  saw  them  going  to  and  from  their  long  hours 
of  labor  with  a  song  upon  their  lips,  you  became 
convinced  that  these  men  had  unconquerable  souls; 
and  the  tramp,  tramp,  tramp  of  their  marching 

230 


TWO    COLORED    WOMEN    WITH    THE   A.    E.   F. 

feet  made  you  feel  that  surely  they  were  walking 
side  by  side  with  the  Master,  who  had  said  unto 
them:  Lo,  I  am  with  you  alway,  even  unto  the  end 
of  the  world. 


231 


They  are  embosomed  in  the  sod, 

In  still  and  tranquil  leisure, 

Their  lives,  they've  cast,  like  trifles  down 

To  serve  their  country's  pleasure. 

Nor  bugle  call,  nor  mother's  voice, 
Nor  moody  mob's  unreason, 
Shall  break  their  solace  and  repose, 
Through  swiftly  changing  season. 

0  graves  of  men  who  lived  and  died 
Afar  from  life's  high  pleasures, 
Fold  them  in  tenderly  and  warm 
With  manifold  fond  measures. 

GEORGIA  DOUGLAS  JOHNSON. 


232 


Reburying  the  Dead 


CPRINGTIME  had  come  again,  but  so  different 
k./  from  the  spring  of  that  other  year.  Then  the 
voices  of  spring  had  been  deadened  by  the  thunder- 
ous guns  around  Verdun,  Soissons,  and  Chateau 
Thierry.  Then  those  guns  with  their  deep  and 
ominous  challenge  were  holding  the  whole  world 
in  tense  and  fearful  waiting.  Women  of  every 
land  were  listening  with  tender  yearning  and  burn- 
ing anxiety  for  a  word  from  their  heroes  on  the 
fields  of  France.  Men  of  mature  years  who  had 
been  a  part  of  the  conflicts  of  other  days  could 
scarce  conceal  their  eagerness  for  the  fray  as  they 
gently  encouraged  those  anguished  women  and 
commended  their  wonderful  spirit  of  endurance 
and  patriotism.  It  was  springtime,  but  the  Crown 
Prince  still  hammered  on  Verdun,  the  Hindenburg 
line  was  still  unbroken  and  the  foe  was  not  yet 
hurled  back  from  the  Marne  in  sure  defeat.  It  was 
the  springtime  when  late,  but  with  grim  determina- 
tion to  win  or  die,  the  American  Forces  had  at  last 
taken  their  place  in  the  World  Conflict. 

But  all  that  was  now  a  part  of  the  past  and 
springtime  had  come  once  again  in  France.  Mean- 
time a  spirit  of  change  had  crept  over  all  the  land. 
After  one  tremendous  shout  for  victory  the  world 
had  fallen  into  the  silence  that  follows  a  supreme 
struggle — the  silence  of  exhaustion,  the  silence  of 
death.  Many  of  the  thousands  who  had  pressed 

233 


TWO    COLORED    WOMEN    WITH   THE   A.    E.    F. 

forward  in  those  terrific  battles  crying  "Victory!" 
had  fallen  and  lain  together  under  the  bleak,  dark 
winter  skies  of  France.  It  was  a  period,  too,  of 
reckoning  and  realization  of  the  price  paid.  But 
springtime  had  come  again  in  France  with  its 
song-birds  and  blood-red  poppies,  and  with  it  the 
quick  consciousness  that  the  dead  lying  en-masse 
on  the  battlefields  must  be  given  resting  places  be- 
fitting heroes. 

Here  was  a  tremendous  task  for  the  surviving 
American  soldiers,  but  far  more  sacred  than  tre- 
mendous. Whose  would  be  the  hands  to  gather  as 
best  they  could  and  place  beneath  the  white  crosses 
of  honor  the  remains  of  those  who  had  sanctified 
their  spirits  through  the  gift  of  their  lifeblood?  It 
would  be  a  gruesome,  repulsive  and  unhealthful 
task,  requiring  weeks  of  incessant  toil  during  the 
long  heavy  days  of  summer.  It  also  meant  isola- 
tion, for  these  cemeteries  for  the  American  dead 
would  be  erected  on  or  near  the  battlefields  where 
the  men  had  fallen.  But  it  would  be  a  wonderful 
privilege  the  beauty  and  glory  of  which  would 
reveal  itself  more  and  more  as  the  facts  of  the  war 
should  become  crystallized  into  history. 

Strange  that  the  value  of  such  a  task  did  not 
gather  full  significance  in  the  minds  of  all  Amer- 
ican soldiers.  Strange  that  when  other  hands  re- 
fused it,  swarthy  hands  received  it!  Yet,  perhaps, 
not  so  strange,  for  Providence  hath  its  own  way, 
and  in  those  American  cemeteries  in  France  we 
have  strong  and  indisputable  evidence  of  the  won- 
derful devotion  and  loyalty  and  the  matchless 

234 


1.  Burial  at   Sea.     2.  Writer's  Tent  at  Romagne  Cemetery.     3.   Among 
the  Ruins  of  Dunn-sur-Meuse.     4.  Belleau  Woods. 


TWO    COLORED    WOMEN    WITH    THE    A.    E.    F. 

patience  and  endurance  of  the  colored  soldier. 
The  placing  of  this  task — the  most  sacred  of  the 
whole  war — in  his  hands  may  have  been  providen- 
tially planned.  It  may  have  been  just  another 
means,  as  against  the  force  of  arms,  to  hasten  here 
at  home  the  recognition  and  enforcement  of  those 
fundamental  principles  that  for  four  long  years 
had  held  the  world  in  deadly  struggle. 

We  looked  upon  these  soldiers  of  ours — the 
splendid  813th,  815th  and  816th  Pioneer  Regi- 
ments and  the  numerous  fine  labor  battalions — as 
they  constructed  the  cemeteries  at  Romagne,  Beau- 
mont, Thiencourt,  Belleau  Woods,  Fere-en-Tar- 
denois  and  Soissons.  We  watched  them  as  they 
toiled  day  and  night,  week  after  week,  through 
drenching  rain  and  parching  heat.  And  yet  these 
physical  ills  were  as  naught  compared  with  the 
trials  of  discriminations  and  injustices  that  seared 
their  souls  like  hot  iron,  inflicted  as  they  were  at 
a  time  when  these  soldiers  were  rendering  the 
American  army  and  nation  a  sacred  service. 
Always  in  those  days  there  was  fear  of  mutiny  or 
rumors  of  mutiny.  We  felt  most  of  the  time  that 
we  were  living  close  to  the  edge  of  a  smoldering 
crater.  At  Belleau  Woods  the  soldiers  en-masse 
banished  some  who  mistreated  them.  We  recall  an 
incident  at  Romagne.  Even  though  it  was  May  the 
nights  were  winter  cold,  so  that  when  one  snuggled 
between  army  blankets  in  the  tent,  it  required  a 
bit  of  heroism  to  crawl  out.  This  particular  night 
we  had  just  retired  when  shots  were  heard,  fired  in 
rapid  succession.  Without  thought  of  the  cold  we 

235 


TWO    COLORED    WOMEN    WITH    THE    A.    E.    F. 

began  dressing  and  were  sitting  wrapped  in  cloak 
thinking  rapidly  about  what  was  happening 
when  someone  called,  "It  is  only  a  fire!"  What  a 
relief  it  was!  What  did  it  matter  if  the  whole 
camp  burned  in  comparison  with  our  boys  being 
goaded  by  prejudice  beyond  reason!  Rations  were 
often  scarce  and  poor  at  Romagne  because  we  were 
so  far  from  supplies,  hence  we  prepared  and  served 
food  for  the  soldiers  all  day  long.  But  this  was 
but  a  small  task  compared  with  that  of  keeping  the 
men  in  good  spirits  and  reminding  them  again  and 
again  of  the  glory  of  the  work  they  had  in  hand. 
Always,  whether  in  the  little  corner  set  aside  in 
the  Y  barracks  as  our  reception  room,  or  among 
the  books  they  liked  so  well  to  read,  whether  by 
the  side  of  the  piano  or  over  the  canteen,  we  were 
trying  to  love  them  as  a  mother  or  a  dear  one 
would  into  a  fuller  knowledge  and  appreciation  of 
themselves,  their  task  and  the  value  of  forbearance. 

We  had  gone  from  Romagne — women  of  fine 
spirit  had  taken  our  place  and  were  lovingly  min- 
istering to  the  needs  of  these  soldiers,  when  things 
happened  too  grievous  to  be  calmly  borne.  At 
one  stroke  down  came  tents  of  discrimination  and 
injustice,  but  the  work  there  went  on  and  the  sol- 
diers completed  the  difficult  task  assigned  them. 

For  weeks  at  Romagne  we  watched  these 
men  fare  forth  with  the  dawn  to  find  the  dead 
on  the  480  square  miles  of  battlefield  of  the  Meuse- 
Argonne.  At  eventide  we  would  see  them  return 
and  reverently  remove  the  boxes  from  the  long  lines 
of  trucks  and  place  them  on  the  hillside  beside  the 

236 


TWO    COLORED    WOMEN    WITH    THE    A.    E.    F. 

waiting  trenches  that  other  soldiers  had  been  dig- 
ging all  the  long  busy  day.  Far  into  the  night  we 
would  sit  in  our  darkened  tent  looking  out  on  the 
electric-lighted  cemetery,  watching  the  men  as 
they  lowered  the  boxes  into  the  trenches.  Some- 
times we  could  hear  only  a  low  murmur  of  voices, 
and  sometimes  again  there  would  come  to  us  a 
plaintive  melody  in  keeping  with  the  night  hour 
and  its  peculiar  task. 

Mr.  William  G.  Shepherd,  in  the  New  York 
Evening  Post,  gives  the  following  picture: 

"As  we  moved  about  the  battlefield  later,  we  saw  in 
fields,  in  groves,  on  hillsides,  and  even  in  the  yards  of 
what  had  been  the  houses  of  French  villages,  groups  of 
Negro  soldiers  at  their  worthy  but  infinitely  slow  task 
of  calling  the  roll  of  our  American  dead  and  gathering 
them  together  at  the  hillside  rendezvous  of  Romagne. 

"One  of  the  burning  pictures  of  all  this  war  to  me 
was  a  view  of  these  Negro  sexton-soldiers  working  on 
a  hilltop  one  rainy  evening  at  dusk.  They  were  outlined 
against  the  gloomy  sky.  Their  huge  motor-truck  stood 
near  by,  ready  to  carry  their  burden  to  Romagne.  I 
thought  of  the  home  back  in  the  United  States  where  this 
one  doughboy's  empty  chair  held  its  sacred  place;  of 
how  the  'home  fires,'  of  which  our  doughboys  had  so 
often  sung,  had  been  kept  burning  for  him.  I  thought 
of  how  the  heart-love  in  that  home  would  flash  across 
the  Atlantic  to  this  bleak  French  hilltop  faster  than  any 
wireless  message — if  the  homefolk  only  knew. 

"It  was  good  to  know  that  he  was  being  taken  from 
his  solitary  bed,  in  the  midst  of  the  battlefield's  desola- 
tion, back  to  the  crowd  of  his  buddies  at  Romagne.  This, 
that  I  saw  on  the  sky-line,  was  his  second  mobilization. 
Not  this  time  will  he  sing  and  romp  and  play  and  joke 

237 


TWO    COLORED    WOMEN    WITH    THE    A.    E.    F. 

and  fight;  after  his  second  mobilization  at  Romagne  he 
will  just  lie  still  and  rest  with  all  the  other  thousands  of 
his  fellow  soldiers,  his  job  well  done,  until  it  is  time 
for  us  he  saved  to  take  him  back  home." 

We  have  yet  another  picture.  It  was  the  day 
before  the  30th  of  May,  1919.  Every  soldier  was 
helping  to  put  the  Romagne  cemetery  in  readiness 
for  its  dedication  by  General  Pershing  on  the  next 
day.  Looking  out  from  our  little  kitchen  window 
of  the  Y  barrack,  we  saw  what  seemed  to  us  a 
wonderful  sight.  Two  long  lines  of  soldiers  were 
before  us — one  moving  slowly  over  the  hill  and 
the  other  coming  up  the  main  road — each  man  bear- 
ing on  his  shoulder  a  single  white  cross  that  would 
rest  above  the  grave  of  a  fellow-hero.  Quickly 
our  mind  traveled  back  over  the  centuries  to  Him 
who  had  borne  the  cross  toward  Golgotha,  and  we 
saw  in  these  dark-skinned  sons  of  America  bearing 
those  white  crosses,  something  of  the  same  humility 
and  something  of  the  same  sorrow  that  character- 
ized the  Master,  but  we  also  beheld  in  them  the 
Christ  spirit  grown  large,  beautiful  and  eternal 
with  the  ages.  Behind  the  vivid  picture  drawn  by 
Mr.  Shepherd  and  behind  this  other  picture,  one 
sees  not  only  the  twenty-two  thousand  homes  rep- 
resented by  these  crosses  at  Romagne,  but  the  ten 
thousand  real  Americans,  colored  men  of  the  Pion- 
eer Infantries  and  labor  battalions,  who,  through 
the  sweat  of  toil,  linked  that  place  of  sainted  pil- 
grimage on  the  Western  Front  with  those  American 
homes. 

238 


1.  Military  Cemetery  at  Romagne. 
2.  Bearing  the  Cross. 


TWO    COLORED    WOMEN    WITH    THE    A.    E.    F. 

Our  outstanding  impression  of  those  faithful 
ones  who  wore  the  insignia  of  Alsace-Lorraine  is 
their  strict  allegiance  to  the  trust  imposed  upon 
them,  with  heart  and  purpose  fixed  to  pay  the  price 
entailed  in  the  completion  of  their  severe  task. 

Whether  they  sought  their  comrades  by  the 
winding  Meuse  or  on  the  battle-seamed  heights  of 
"No  Man's  Land;"  whether  they  found  their 
bodies  in  the  shadows  of  the  ruined  cathedrals  of 
Rheims,  Soissons  or  Ypres,  always  they  were  mak- 
ing an  unconscious  challenge  to  the  very  heart  of 
the  United  States  for  the  rights  of  the  twelve  mil- 
lions of  its  citizens  whose  loyalty  had  thus  endured 
the  test. 

May  we  not  hope  that  as  the  heart  of  this  home- 
land finds  its  way  to  those  American  shrines  in 
France,  a  real  peace,  born  of  knowledge  and  grati- 
tude, shall  descend  upon  us,  blotting  out  hate  and 
its  train  of  social  and  civil  injustices?  Then  shall 
we  realize  the  value  and  meaning  of  the  pain  and 
sacrifice  of  these  dark-browned  heroes  of  ours. 


16  239 


What  are  the  things  that  make  life  bright? 

A  star  gleam  in  the  night. 

What  hearts  us  for  the  coming  fray? 

The  dawn  tints  of  the  day. 

What  helps  to  speed  the  weary  mile? 

A  brother's  friendly  smile. 

What  turns  to  gold  the  evening  gray? 

A  flower  beside  the  way. 

PAUL  LAURENCE  DUNBAR. 


240 


Stray  Days 


THERE  were  days  of  travel  from  one  post  of 
duty  to  another,  and  days  of  recreation  that 
took  us  away  from  the  camp  for  a  little  but  seldom 
away  from  the  soldiers  themselves.  Army  restric- 
tions were  as  numerous  and  as  intricate  as  the 
barbed  wire  entanglement  of  the  front.  But  in 
spite  of  limitations,  and  in  some  instances  because 
of  them,  we  had  many  novel  and  interesting  experi- 
ences in  what  we  called  Stray  Days. 

Waiting,  as  simple  as  it  seems,  could  sometimes 
be  one  of  the  most  trying  ordeals  of  a  soldier's 
life.  This  was  true  of  those  who  reached  France  in 
the  heat  of  the  conflict  to  become  in  some  small  way 
a  part  of  it.  Arriving  in  Paris  and  finding  it  sorely 
pressed  by  the  foe,  one  immediately  became  a  part 
of  the  anxious  throng  within  its  gates,  with  scant 
desire  for  sight-seeing  or  visits  to  places  of  inter- 
est during  those  tense  days.  This  was  especially 
true  if  one  had  known  that  city  when  it  was  all 
life  and  light,  before  the  pall  of  suffering  and 
dread  had  fallen  over  it. 

Now  one  preferred  to  sit  in  the  Garden  of  the 
Tuilleries,  if  the  bomb  and  shell  of  the  enemy  per- 
mitted it.  Looking  out  upon  the  huge  dark  form 
of  the  Louvre  or  letting  the  eyes  wander  past  the 
remains  of  the  palace  to  the  Place  de  la  Concorde, 
it  would  be  most  natural  that  the  thoughts  or  con- 
versation would  turn  to  the  long  struggle  of  France 
for  the  attainment  of  an  ideal  democracy.  Usually 

241 


TWO    COLORED    WOMEN    WITH    THE    A.    E.    F. 

the  conversation  would  be  with  a  wounded  soldier 
or  sad  old  civilian  of  the  French  who  would  add 
much  to  our  knowledge  of  his  people  and  their 
history.  Or,  in  those  same  oppressive  days,  we 
would  ride  past  the  palatial  residences  with  their 
fast-closed  windows,  on  the  Champs  Elysees,  out  to 
the  Bois  de  Bologne.  Sitting  there  with  face  toward 
Napoleon's  Arc  de  Triomphe,  one  would  come  to 
understand  that  kingdoms  and  principalities, 
builded  by  selfishness  and  tyranny,  survive  but  a 
day.  Through  the  gruesome  crucible  of  the  Bastille 
and  guillotine,  France  had  won  the  democracy  that 
she  was  now  battling  to  preserve.  The  grim  insist- 
ence of  this  determination  could  be  seen  in  the 
wounded  men  that  were  ever  near  us. 

But  when  the  French  had  finally  won,  life  and 
light  once  again  filled  Paris,  and  with  it  the  urge 
and  joy  of  long  days  of  sight-seeing  for  the  Amer- 
icans. Soldiers  "on  three  days'  leave"  wanted  to 
see  luxurious  Versailles  whatever  else  was  omitted. 
Others  preferred  Fontainebleau  with  its  stately 
palace,  or  St.  Denis  with  its  hundreds  of  royal 
tombs.  All  wanted  to  go  to  the  tombs  of  Lafayette 
and  Napoleon.  One  would  find  the  Chapel  of  the 
Invalides  crowded  with  soldiers  looking  down  upon 
the  great  sarcophagus  of  the  Emperor,  while  a 
Y  man  related  the  history.  Now  and  then  as  we 
listened,  we  felt  that  the  shade  of  the  great  warrior 
might  be  protesting  all  unseen  against  some  of 
these  original  interpretations  of  his  life. 

Aside  from  the  best-known  places  of  interest,  one 
liked  to  go  out  to  Pere  la  Chaise  with  a  group  of 

242 


TWO    COLORED    WOMEN    WITH    THE    A.    E.    F. 

men  and  show  them  its  wonderful  beauty,  even 
though  a  cemetery — show  them  the  graves  of  great 
scholars  and  artists  of  France,  even  those  of  its 
great  lovers  like  Heloise  and  Abelard.     Often  the 
day  would  be  closed  with  a  restful  ride  on  the 
Seine,  where,  somehow,  one  came  into  more  inti- 
mate  touch   with   historical   Paris   and   a   keener 
understanding  of  it  than  from  any  other  point.    The 
long  dark  form  of  the  Louvre;  the  beautiful  Notre 
Dame  with  the  nearby  Hotel  de  Ville,  and  the  gold- 
domed  Hotel  des  Invalides  are  among  the  domi- 
nating views  of  the  famous  little  Seine,  and  in  them 
is  summed  up  much  of  the  death  and  resurrection 
of  a  nation.     But  outside  of  Paris  the  footsteps  of 
the  world  seemed  to  turn  toward  Rheims.    Rheims 
with  its  far-famed  cathedral,   all  war-despoiled, 
became  a  place  of  pilgrimage  not  only  for  the  de- 
voted French,  but  for  the  thousands  of  foreigners 
on  their  soil.    Towering  above  the  ruined  city,  the 
cathedral,  so  rich  in  artistic  value  and  historical 
associations,  stands  all  shattered  and  torn.    Thirty 
years  to  restore,  they  told  us  there!     Somehow  as 
we  looked  upon  it,  standing  proudly  erect  in  spite 
of  its  ghastly  wounds  and  piles  of  wreckage  heaped 
high  about,  it  seemed  strongly  emblematic  of  its 
wonderful  people,  who  even  then  had  begun  the 
herculean  task  of  restoring  their  villages  and  towns. 
Aside  from  walking  through  the  ruins  to  reach 
the  cathedral  and  our  ride  to  the  fort  and  battle- 
field with  its  never-ending  trenches,  we  have  two 
distinct  memories  of  our  visit  to  Rheims.    First,  it 

243 


TWO    COLORED    WOMEN    WITH    THE    A.    E.    F. 

was  a  wonderful  way  to  celebrate  the  birthday  of 
one  of  us;  and  second,  a  secret  service  man,  posing 
as  a  Frenchman,  completely  won  our  confidence. 
Once  before  in  Paris  when  one  of  our  number  had 
a  dinner  in  honor  of  the  Liberian  delegates  to  the 
Peace  Conference,  we  found  close  at  our  side  an 
American  in  faultless  evening  dress.  He  quite 
amused  us  by  the  way  he  pretended  to  be  engrossed 
in  his  dinner  and  book,  while  he  really  gave  him- 
self to  listening.  A  little  diplomacy,  and  his  call- 
ing was  discovered.  But  at  Rheims  it  was  all 
different.  Sprawled  on  a  bench  in  real  French 
attire  with  wine  bottle  in  hand,  this  man  spoke 
perfect  French.  It  was  the  hottest  day  we  had 
ever  experienced  in  France,  so  he  opened  the  con- 
versation with  questions  about  the  weather  in  dif- 
ferent sections  of  the  United  States,  thus  locating 
us.  Then  came  other  questions  about  colored 
people,  their  relations  and  feelings  to  their  coun- 
try. After  a  while  our  little  party  went  to  purchase 
postcards,  and  when  we  returned  our  erstwhile 
Frenchman  had  become  an  unmistakable  American. 
He  laughingly  revealed  his  identity.  Now,  per- 
haps it  was  the  environment,  but,  at  any  rate,  we 
had  all  stood  the  test  that  day  of  being  rather  good 
Americans;  even  the  "buck"  private  who  accom- 
panied us  seemed  to  have  forgotten  the  many  griev- 
ances of  his  kind  and  spoke  with  a  kind  of  glow 
upon  his  face  of  his  home  in  Baltimore.  Our 
secret  service  man  was  well  pleased  with  our 
Americanism,  but  we  felt  rather  chagrined  that  we 
had  missed  so  splendid  an  opportunity  to  share  with 

244 


TWO    COLORED    WOMEN    WITH    THE    A.    E.    F. 

him  certain  truths  about  colored  folk  at  home  that 
he  probably  had  not  learned. 

Seeing  Rheims,  one  also  wished  to  see  the  city 
so  close  by  and  so  closely  linked  to  it  for  all  the 
war.  But  we  had  seen  Chateau  Thierry  first.  One 
Saturday  afternoon  the  two  writers  were  started 
from  Verdun  with  "movement  orders"  for  Paris. 
But  the  spirit  of  adventure  was  very  strong  in  them. 
They  were  in  a  region  that  within  a  year  had 
changed  the  map  of  the  world  and  added  miracu- 
lous pages  to  history.  They  were  in  a  sector  where 
their  own  men,  side  by  side  with  the  French,  had 
fought  bravely  to  victory,  so  that  to  see  it  only  from 
the  fast  moving  train  was  hardly  possible.  At 
Chalons  they  descended,  and  so  full  of  their  adven- 
ture were  they  that  the  difficulty  of  securing  suit- 
able lodgings  in  that  city,  overcrowded  with  Amer- 
ican officers  and  soldiers,  did  not  disturb  them. 
Two  Frenchmen  carrying  their  baggage,  content- 
edly jogged  along  with  them,  now  and  then  offering 
a  suggestion.  The  old  cathedral,  one  of  the  finest 
in  France,  and  the  old  buildings  of  the  city  were 
well  worth  the  time  spent  in  hunting  a  place  to 
sleep.  Next  morning  they  hurried  over  to  the 
ruined  city  of  Chateau  Thierry  with  its  little  Marne 
that  had  twice  held  the  world  in  breathless  anxiety. 
How  glad  they  were  to  join  there  two  other  Y 
women  and  a  Y  man  who  were  also  out  for  a  day 
of  recreation!  Already  they  had  found  the  head- 
quarters' company  of  the  "813th,"  and  the  colonel 
of  that  regiment  granted  the  use  of  two  camions 
or  wagonettes  in  which  they  all  raced  to  Belleau 

245 


TWO    COLORED    WOMEN    WITH    THE    A.    E.    F. 

Woods.  There  Messrs.  Kindal  and  Parks,  with  Miss 
Thomas  and  Mrs.  Williamson  were  faithfully  serv- 
ing those  companies  of  the  "813th"  that  were 
building  the  cemetery  there  and  of  whom  we  have 
spoken.  There,  too,  we  found  Dr.  Wilberforce 
Williams  helping  the  regular  staff.  Never  was  a 
dinner  served  in  the  properly  appointed  way  eaten 
more  joyously  than  the  one  to  which  those  ten 
secretaries  sat  down  that  Sunday  in  Belleau  Woods. 
It  had  been  gathered  from  devious  sources  by  the 
soldiers  of  the  regiment  and  brought  to  the  Y 
hut,  so  that  the  courses  would  not  have  pleased  an 
epicurean  taste.  However,  there  were  few  frag- 
ments left  from  that  meal. 

We  have  told  about  the  soldiers  at  Chateau 
Thierry  and  Fere-en-Tardenois,  but  we  have  not 
told  about  our  race  from  one  place  to  the  other, 
about  thirty  miles,  with  stops  here  and  there  to 
find  our  way,  pick  up  hats  and  caps  blown  away, 
and  to  repair  the  camions. 

That  night  we  slept  at  Epernay  and  that  is  still 
another  story.  There,  too,  we  found  the  city 
crowded  by  Americans.  We  thought  we  would  sit 
in  the  depot  all  night,  but  the  sleeping  crowd  and 
steamy  atmosphere  drove  us  forth  into  the  clean 
night  air.  We  were  just  endeavoring  to  drive  a 
bargain  with  the  owner  of  a  voiture  for  its  use  as 
a  sleeping  carriage,  when  a  tiny  French  lady  in 
voluminous  black  bombazine  swept  us  away  to 
her  small  apartment  with  its  big  feather  bed.  The 
next  day,  having  satisfied  for  the  time  our  desire 

246 


TWO    COLORED    WOMEN    WITH    THE    A.    E.    F. 

for  sight-seeing,  we  most  demurely  handed  in 
"movement  orders"  at  the  Paris  office. 

During  the  war  Epernay,  like  Bar-le-Duc  and 
Chalons,  was  always  just  on  the  rim  of  that  gulf 
of  fire  and  smoke  that  swept  Eastern  France.  For 
the  most  part  these  cities  escaped  with  only  an 
ugly  scar  here  and  there.  Verdun  saved  them,  for 
could  the  Crown.  Prince  but  have  realized  his 
dream,  they,  too,  would  have  been  as  Soissons, 
Rheims  and  Chateau  Thierry,  mere  heaps  of  ruins. 

There  were  other  trips  over  battlefields  and 
through  their  tunnels  that  most  of  those  who  went 
to  France  had  the  privilege  of  making.  But  it  was 
away  from  the  beaten  paths  of  travelers,  and  espe- 
cially along  the  west  coast  of  France,  that  these 
Stray  Days  afforded  us  the  greatest  pleasure.  At 
St.  Nazaire  there  were  days  when  we  would  leave 
the  noise  of  the  camp  and  wander  down  long  shady 
roads,  by  high  stone  walls  that  hid  from  view  beau- 
tiful cottages  and  gardens,  down  steep  inclines  to 
the  sea,  stepping  from  boulder  to  boulder  till  we 
would  be  far  out.  Then  we  would  rest  with  the 
breeze  full  of  the  salt  of  the  sea  blowing  about  us. 
Sometimes  we  would  talk  of  home  and  loved  ones 
over  there  in  the  west,  sometimes  of  our  work,  but 
oftener  we  would  be  silent.  Looking  up  we  might 
see  a  khaki-clad  form  high  above  that  would  come 
down  to  us  at  a  frightfully  rapid  pace.  There 
were  lovely  moonlight  nights  when  we  would  stand 
by  the  sea-wall  on  the  ocean  boulevard  and  watch 
the  transports  that  so  often  filled  the  harbor,  rest- 
ing on  the  glistening  waves.  But  there  were  other 

247 


TWO    COLORED    WOMEN    WITH    THE    A.    E.    F. 

nights  when,  clad  in  storm  raiment,  we  enjoyed 
equally  as  well  seeing  the  great  waves  dash  over 
the  wall  and  across  the  boulevard  in  turbulent 
anger. 

Now  and  then  there  would  be  a  whole  day  in 
which  we  could  leave  the  camp  entirely.  Then  we 
could  go  to  one  of  the  many  little  seaside  resorts 
about  us — Pornichet,  for  instance,  with  its  great 
stretch  of  white  beach,  quaint  and  quiet  inns  and 
tempting  sea  food.  There  one  would  go  to  sleep 
with  the  roar  of  the  waves  in  the  ears  and  the  salt 
of  the  sea  filling  the  atmosphere. 

Now  and  then  there  would  be  need  of  supplies 
for  our  hut  that  the  local  magasins  or  shops  could 
not  supply,  and  it  would  afford  a  chance  for  a  shop- 
ping expedition  to  the  quaint  and  historical  old 
city,  of  Nantes.  Once  there  we  would  spend  most 
of  the  day  in  the  crowded  but  wonderfully  attrac- 
tive shops.  Then  we  would  seek  for  a  voiture  with 
a  versatile  and  talkative  owner  who  would  show 
us  the  points  of  interest  in  the  old  town  that  had 
known  so  much  of  persecution  and  despotism.  The 
river  Loire,  now  filled  with  supplies  for  the  army, 
was  once  filled  with  barges  in  which  hundreds  of 
human  souls  were  drowned.  Nantes  was  one  of  the 
important  war  bases,  and  was  always  crowded  by 
Americans. 

Another  outing  took  us  to  Vannes  on  the  Brittany 
coast,  one  of  the  oldest  towns  of  France.  In  Celtic 
times  it  was  the  capital  of  Venetis  and  it  takes  the 
honor  of  giving  Venice  its  name  as  well  as  coloniz- 
ing the  Adriatic.  Because  its  inhabitants  resisted 

248 


TWO    COLORED    WOMEN    WITH    THE    A.    E.    F. 

Caesar  with  so  much  vigor  he  said  of  them  "they 
have  bodies  of  iron  and  hearts  of  steel."  Looking 
at  the  every-day  life  of  those  inhabitants  of  the 
Brittany  coast,  one  feels  that  time  has  brought  few 
changes  in  conditions  and  customs.  The  men  driv- 
ing their  cows  and  sheep  on  market  day,  the  women 
and  children  riding  in  the  carts  or  walking  about 
the  towns,  all  in  the  native  costume  of  their  class, 
close  the  door  on  the  present  and,  for  a  time,  make 
one  a  part  of  the  past.  Its  old  stone  gateways  and 
courts,  its  old  squares  and  old  passages  and  more 
than  all  else,  its  old  men  and  women  with  their 
clattering  wooden  shoes,  reveal  how  little  the  outer 
world  has  penetrated  to  that  ancient  spot. 

A  half  day  only  left  for  Vannes,  and  Carnac 
with  its  Druid  Stones  almost  thirty  kilometres  away! 
How  was  it  to  be  done?  We  could  not  miss  seeing 
such  a  wonder.  There  was  but  one  way,  and  well 
for  us  that  we  did  not  know  then  all  the  army  regu- 
lations or  we  would  have  missed  this  place  now 
engraven  in  our  memory.  But  we  did  not  know, 
so  we  did  the  one  thing  possible,  hired  an  auto- 
mobile with  chauffeur — both  French — and  sped  to 
Carnac.  It  is  neither  beautiful  nor  ugly,  but  it  is 
wonderful  to  see  hundreds  of  gray  stones  rising 
skyward  out  of  the  heather-covered  fields.  So 
regular  the  rows,  so  silent  the  surroundings  that 
one  can  almost  believe  the  legend  that  makes  them 
an  army  turned  to  stone.  There  is  much  of  tradi- 
tion and  history  in  all  of  this  part  of  Brittany. 

Finnistere  offered  many  advantages  for  outings 
with  the  great  military  port  of  Brest  as  the  starting 

249 


TWO    COLORED    WOMEN    WITH    THE    A.    E.    F. 

point.  To  be  in  Brest  in  winter  was  to  feel  the 
gloom  and  penetrating  chill  of  England  with 
the  addition  during  the  war  period  of  mud  every- 
where— earth  ground  into  sinking  mire  such  as 
only  vast  and  constant  movements  of  men  and 
machinery  could  produce.  It  was  the  greatest  port 
of  the  war,  and  men  were  always  there  by  the 
thousands.  We  climbed  high  above  the  city  one 
winter  evening  to  visit  the  men  at  Camp  Lincoln. 
As  we  spoke  to  them  that  night  we  saw 
their  faces  out  of  the  shadows  made  by 
the  flickering  candles.  Months  later  we  spoke 
again,  but  in  a  well-lighted  auditorium  that 
had  been  built  for  the  men  as  the  result  of  the 
persistent  and  successful  efforts  of  Secretary 
Cansler  and  his  associates.  Brest  itself  is  full  of 
historic  interest,  beginning  with  the  sombre  Chateau 
and  its  dungeons.  But  all  around  it  are  picturesque 
spots  that  lure  one  away  from  the  town  in  summer 
days.  One  Saturday  four  Y  women  and  twelve 
soldiers  went  by  automobile  north  from  Brest  about 
twelve  miles  and  reached  the  remote  village  of  St. 
Mathieu.  They  were  then  at  the  most  westerly 
point  on  the  Continent,  named  by  the  natives  "Loc 
Mazi  pen  ar  Bed,"  or  the  cell  of  St.  Mathieu  at  the 
end  of  the  earth.  But  the  most  important  thing 
there  is  the  ruins  of  a  great  monastery  constructed 
in  the  sixth  century.  It  was  bombarded  first  by  the 
English  and  again  during  the  French  Revolution. 
On  all  the  Continent  we  had  seen  nothing  more 
picturesque  than  that  great  roofless  monastery  with 
its  cloisters  and  pretty  Gothic  windows.  Covered 

250 


1.    Down    by   the    Sea    in    France.      2.    Devastated    Rheims.      3.    A    Light- 
house  off   the    Coast   of   Brittany.      4.   The   Druid   Stones   at   Carnac.      5. 
Chamonix.      6.    An    old    gateway    at    Verdun.      7.    Chateau    Thierry.      8.  . 
Yerdu:;.     9.  Ancient  Yannes. 


TWO    COLORED    WOMEN    WITH    THE    A.    E.    F. 

with  moss  and  ivy,  it  stood  a  monument  to  the 
monastic  order  of  its  day.  Nearby  was  a  light- 
house and  all  about  us  were  mines,  for  the  village 
held  a  strategic  position  at  the  entrance  to  the 
English  Channel.  Beneath  the  sea-wall  was  a  sub- 
marine passage  that  had  had  its  uses  in  other  wars 
as  well  as  in  the  last  one.  From  there  we  rode  on 
to  Conquet,  a  typical  little  fishing  village  of  the 
north  coast.  We  ate  dinner  in  a  big  old  room  jut- 
ting far  out  on  the  sea,  where  the  mist  fell  about 
us  like  rain. 

How  in  the  memory  of  thousands  of  doughboys 
and  welfare  workers  lingers  the  picture  of  Lyons! 
With  its  lovely  bridges,  parks  and  boulevards,  with 
its  great  Cathedrale  de  Fourviere  perched  high 
above  it,  more  than  any  other  place  it  was  the 
"City  Beautiful"  for  the  men  who  rested  there  en- 
route  to  southern  France.  It  was  with  Dijon, 
beautiful  beyond  compare,  after  the  barren  of 
camp  life. 

There  were  days  in  Southern  France  where, 
in  addition  to  the  interesting  outings  that  were 
ever  a  part  of  the  regular  program,  we  made  other 
journeys.  Some  of  our  number  traveled  to  Grenoble 
and  to  beautiful  Nice  on  the  Mediterranean,  others 
went  over  those  picturesque  parts  that  border  Spain 
and  some  stood  by  Lake  Geneva  and  spent  a  night 
at  lovely  Chamonix  under  the  shadow  of  Mont 
Blanc,  marveling  at  its  stupendous  beauty.  There 
were  vales  and  grottoes,  lakes  and  mountains  to 
which  we  went,  but  there  was  always  the  soldier 

251 


TWO    COLORED    WOMEN    WITH    THE    A.    E.    F. 

and  one  used  these  Stray  Days  largely  to  gather 
new  strength,  new  vigor  for  the  important  task  back 
in  the  Y  hut.  One  might  go  many  miles  away  from 
camp  life,  but  the  vision  of  those  thousands  of 
virile  lads  with  soul  and  body  steeled  for  the  hour 
could  not  be  lost  and  always  sent  one  back  to  them 
with  an  eager  longing  to  serve  better  than  before. 


252 


Afterthought 


WE  verily  believe  that  consistent  adherence 
to  the  teachings  of  the  Prince  of  Peace,  is 
the  rock  upon  which  the  colored  people  of  Amer- 
ica must  build  the  superstructure  of  their  civiliza- 
tion for  all  their  future.  It  offers  the  only  sure 
solution  for  their  many  difficulties,  although  it  must 
be  accompanied  by  righteous  and  indignant  pro- 
test against  injustice. 

Some  were  not  anxious  for  the  colored  soldier 
to  take  a  part  in  the  great  World  War.  They  felt 
that  it  would  be  a  needless  sacrifice  for  something 
that  would  bring  no  tangible  results  by  way  of 
alleviating  his  present  condition;  others  felt  that 
if  he  offered  his  life  upon  the  altar  for  the  prin- 
ciples of  a  new  freedom,  the  remaining  shackles 
that  have  so  long  bound  him  would  be  wholly 
broken. 

Neither  were  correct;  for  while  the  shackles  have 
not  been  wholly  removed  from  his  body  there  have 
been  wonderful  results  accomplished  that  have  in 
some  measure  removed  the  fetters  from  his  soul. 

Approximately  150,000  soldiers,  officers  and 
men  went  to  France  to  represent  the  colored  race  in 
America.  Many  of  them  were  brigaded  with  the 
French,  while  other  thousands  had  a  contact  and 
association  with  this  people  which  resulted  in  bring- 
ing for  the  entire  number  a  broader  view  of  life; 
they  caught  the  vision  of  a  freedom  that  gave  them 
new  hope  and  a  new  inspiration. 

253 


TWO    COLORED    WOMEN    WITH    THE    A.    E.    F. 

Some  of  them  received  the  rudiments  of  an 
education  through  direct  instruction;  a  thing  that 
would  not  have  come  to  them  in  all  the  years  of  a 
lifetime  at  home,  while  many  hundreds  had  the 
opportunity  of  traveling  through  the  flowering 
fields  of  a  country  long  famed  for  its  love  of  the 
beautiful,  and  seeing  its  wonderful  monuments, 
cathedrals,  art  galleries,  palaces,  chateaux,  etc., 
that  represent  the  highest  attainment  in  the  world  of 
architecture  and  art.  They  looked  upon  the  relics 
left  by  a  people  long  gone,  and  saw  the  picturesque- 
ness  of  a  great  and  wonderful  country,  as  they  took 
their  way  from  the  port  cities  to  the  front  line 
trenches,  or  to  the  towering  Alps,  or  through  the 
farms  and  villages  of  a  quaint  and  thrifty  people. 
And  while  they  traveled  they  learned  that  there 
is  a  fair-skinned  people  in  the  world  who  believe 
in  the  equality  of  races,  and  who  practice  what  they 
believe. 

In  addition  to  this  they  had  an  opportunity  of 
making  a  record  for  themselves  that  will  be  in  no 
wise  hidden  from  the  generations  of  the  future;  a 
proud  record  of  which  the  Frenchman  took  note, 
and  for  which  he  will  give  them  due  credit  in  the 
true  history  of  the  Great  World  War. 

They  also  had  an  opportunity  to  give  the  truth 
a  hearing  before  the  Court  of  Justice  of  the  civi- 
lized world;  the  truth  with  regard  to  their  conduct, 
their  mental  capacity,  their  God-given  talents,  and 
their  ability  for  the  leadership  of  men  and  the 
accomplishment  of  results  that  were  a  credit  to 

254 


TWO    COLORED    WOMEN    WITH    THE    A.    E.    F. 

themselves  and  to  the  nation  which  they  repre- 
sented. 

All  of  these  things  were  quite  enough  to  offset 
whatever  came  to  them  of  hardship  and  sacrifice, 
of  war  and  suffering,  of  mean  prejudice  and  subtle 
propaganda,  of  misrepresentation  and  glaring  in- 
justice. 

They  have  a  right  to  have  a  wonderful  hope  for 
the  future.  Nothing  but  the  Hand  of  Providence 
could  have  guided  them  into  a  great  world  mael- 
strom and  brought  them  out  with  such  wonderful 
and  satisfying  results.  Their  future  endeavor 
should  be  to  a  greater  extent  than  ever  before  along 
the  line  of  demonstrating  to  the  world  their  ability 
to  follow  that  Providence  more  closely  and  with 
a  greater  faith;  to  become  to  the  world  a  living 
example  that  the  principles  of  Christianity  can  be 
applied  with  greater  and  increasing  success  to 
every-day  life;  and  to  blaze  a  pathway  for  them- 
selves whose  brightness  and  beauty  will  make  a 
plea  so  eloquent  that  the  ancient  doctrine  of  the 
Brotherhood  of  Man  will  finally  become  the  chief 
cornerstone  of  our  Democracy. 


NOTES  AND  EXPLANATIONS 

1.  A  riot  between  colored  troops  and  the  citizens  of 
Houston  resulted  in  13  colored  soldiers  being  condemned 
to  death.  As  a  consequence  the  Des  Moines  Officers' 
Training  School  had  its  term  lengthened  by  one  month, 
making  the  necessary  time  for  obtaining  a  commission, 
four  months  instead  of  three;  believing  they  were  to  be 

17  255 


TWO    COLORED    WOMEN    WITH    THE    A.    E.    F. 

denied  commissions  altogether,  many  of  the  candidates 
went  home. 

2.  See  Crisis  Magazine,  70  Fifth  Avenue,  New  York 
City,  Page  19,  issue  of  May,  1919. 

3.  From  official  record  taken  by  soldier  who  was  in 
Brest  at  the  time. 

4.  See  Crisis,  May,  1919,  Pages  16  and  17. 

5.  A  term  of  contempt  used  in  referring  to  the  French 
people. 

6.  From  report  of  supervisor  of  instruction  for  colored 
soldiers  in  France. 


ABBREVIATIONS. 

S.  0.  S.  Service  of  Supplies.  Referred  to  men  en- 
gaged in  getting  supplies  of  food  and  ammunition  to  the 
troops. 

A.  P.  0.  Army  Post  Office.  The  post  offices  were 
known  by  numbers  so  that  names  of  towns  giving  loca- 
tion of  troops  would  not  be  placed  on  paper. 

A.  E.  F.  American  Expeditionary  Force  or  Forces. 
Both  terms  were  used,  and  referred  to  troops,  welfare 
workers,  etc.,  serving  overseas. 

G.  0.  General  Orders.  Orders  issued  from  general 
army  headquarters. 

Del.     Detached. 

M.  P.     Military  Police. 

F.  A.     Field  Artillery. 

C.  0.     Commanding  Officer. 

t).  I.  Divisional  Infantry.  I.  D.  Infantry  Division. 
•  R.  I.  U.  S.  Reserved  Infantry  United  States. 


256 


INDEX 


A.  and  M.  College,  Tallahassee, 

Fla 205 

A.   and  T.   College,   Greensboro, 

N.   C 205 

Aix-les-Bains     20,  159,  162,  164 

Alexander,  Capt 84 

Allen,   Capt 84 

Allied  Women,  Conference  of..  219 

Alston,   Elaine,   Lieut 84 

American  Library  Association..  213 
Andrews,  William,  Lieut    .  .Opp.  84 

Anderson,  William    179 

Antioch   Farm    80,83 

Argonne    Forest    25,90,109 

Armistead,      J.      Emmett,      Sgt. 

Maj 127 

Armstrong,    Sgt 106 

Army   Candidate   School    212 

Artillery 

Officers  of    149 

Regiments,    167th    62,63,212 

Atlanta   University    145 

Bailey,   Sgt.    Maj 221 

Bailey,  Wm.,  Band  Leader. Opp.  222 

Ballou,  Maj.  Gen. 45 

Bands 

Europe's    Band    219 

Saint   Nazaire    Band...    .Of p.  222 

802  P.  I.  Reg.  Band...    .Opp.  222 

803  P.  I.  Reg.  Band...  .Opp.  222 
805  P.  I.  Reg.  Band...  .Opp.  223 
808  P.  I.  Reg.  Band...  .Opp.  223 


815  P.  I.  Reg.  Band... 


.Opp.  218 


Banks,  Sgt 106 

Banks,  E.  T Opp.  25,  26,  229 

Barnett,  Leonard,  Sgt., 

116,  Opp.  210,  211 

Bayles,    Sgt Opp.  122 

Beall,   Jeremiah,   Lieut.-Col 115 

Belgian    Border    83 

Belleau   Woods    153,246 

Beaune,  University  of .  .205,  206,  210 

Black   Madonna   178 

Black  Regiment   75 

Blackwell,  Sgt    Opp.  128 

Blodelsheim   73 

"Blues"    217 

Blue,  Sgt 106 

Bois   de   Mortier 80,81,82 

Bois  d'Oiry   81 

Boker,    George    Henry 75 

Bordeaux     15,97,100,137 

Camp    Ancona    208 

Bordeaux,    University    of... 211,  212 
Boutte,  Matthew,  Capt. 

57,  58,  59,  60,  61,  Opp.  58 
Brest 

20,  97,  98,  99,  100,  138,  155,  182, 

209,  214,  219,  221,  223,  250. 

Camp   Lincoln    35,219,250 

Camp  Pontanezen, 

22,  35,  38,  52,  128,  155,  192,  214 
Brewington,  Everett,  Sgt., 

130,  Opp.  210,  211 


Brown,  N.  Fairfax,  Phr.D...152,  154 
Browning,  Osceola  A.,  Lieut.  .83,  84 

Bruce,    Miss    152 

Bullock,  Mr., 

23,  25,  Opp.  26,169,179 

Burwell,   Sgt    125 

Camps,  American 

Des    Moines    44 

Funston    112,116 

Jackson    ..'. 88 

Sherman    116 

Stuart    90 

Taylor     128 

Camps,  French 

Ancona,  See   Bbrdeaux 

Guthrie,  See  St.  Nazaire 

Lincoln,  See  Brest 

Montoir,  See  St.  Nazaire 

One,  see  St.  Nazaire 

Pontanezen,  See   Brest 

Romagne     ..131,153,218,214,221 

Carlisle    Indian    School 232 

Carnac    249 

Carr,   Sgt    Opp.  122 

Cemeteries 

Beaumont   235 

Belleau  Woods   235 

Fere-en-Tardenois    235 

Soissons   235 

Thiencourt   235 

Romagne    235 

Challes-les-Eaux     .  .152,  162,  167,  214 

Chambery    152,162,166 

Champagne    Offensive    26,89,90 

Chantmd  Farm   82 

Chapman,   Sgt Opp.  128 

Chateau    Chehery    223 

Chateau    Thierry    108,153,245 

Chaumont    152,154,162 

Cheatham,  Lieut 85 

Cherry,  D.   K.,  Capt.  .Opp.  206,  211 

Childs,  Mrs 152,154 

Chisholm,  Frank  L.,  Lieut... Opp.  58 
Citations 

Murphy,   Lieut    80 

Red   Hand    Division 72 

White,  Maj «4 

369  Reg.  Inf.   73 

371  Reg.  Inf 89 

372  Reg.  Inf 91 

802  P.  1 127 

805  P.  1 113,  114 

807  P.  1 120 

Clark,   Sgt    106 

Clark  University   145 

Clayton,    Thomas    205,208 

Clifford,   Mrs.    Carrie  W 134 

Clifford,  J.  Williams,  Lieut. Opp.  58 
Clifford,    Maurice,    Sgt.-Maj....   123 

Cockett,  Dr 19 

Coffin,  Henry  S.,  Dr 13 

Coleman,  Sgt Opp.  122 

Colored   "Y"  Huts,  List  of 35 

Cook,  H.  0 25,  Opp.  26 


INDEX—  Continued 


Cooper,   Opal    219 

Coverdale,  Sgt.-Maj Opp.  128 

Craigwell,   Mrs Opp.  26,  1 52 

Crawford,    Capt 84 

Crawford,   Miss    19 

Croix  de  Guerre, 

51,  54,  62,  71,  74,  80,  81,  83,  84, 

93,  196. 

Croom,   J.    C Opp.  28,  33 

Crutcher,  W.  H 205,  Opp.  206 

Curtis,  Mrs.  James  L., 

136,  152,  153,154,161,162 

Dabney,  Lieut  54 

Daly,  Victor  R.,  Lieut Opp.  58 

Davidson,   Lieut 54 

Davidson,  Cornelius   123 

Dead  Man's  Hill 90 

Dean,   Milton,    Maj 62 

Dickinson,  Jay 124 

Discrimination, 

In  America  42 

Knights    of    Columbus 31 

Official, 

23,  29,  30,  43,  46,  55,  57,  59,  102, 

185,  186,  188,  189. 

Propaganda     103,125,185 

Y.   M.   C.  A 26,  27,  28,  138 

Y.  W.  C.  A 32 

Distinguished  Service  Cross, 

83,  84,  196 
Divisions 

MM. 

45,  48,  52,  61,  86,  112,  188,  211, 
212. 

93d    196 

Dogan,    Sgt 106 

Donaldson,    U.    S.    Sgt.-Maj., 

128,  Opp.  210,  211 

Douglass,  Dr.    H.   Paul 209 

Drye,  Frank  L.,  Lieut Opp.  58 

Du  Bois,  W.   E.   B 136 

Dunbar,   Paul   Lawrence. 95,  110,  240 

Duncan,   Lieut.-Col 80,  83,  84 

Dunn,  Henry,  Sgt 106,179 

Edwards,  Miss   Opp.  26,  152,  154 

Eggleston,  Sgt.-Maj 128 

Ellis,  Wadley,  Sgt Opp.  92 

Engineers    108 

37th 109 

505th     108 

546th    108,109 

Epernay    246,  247 

Europe,  James  Reese. 69,  74,  218,  220 

Evans,   Miss   152,154 

Farmer's    Institute    209 

Farrell,   Sgt 106 

Ferguson,  Rev.  D.  Leroy.33,  139,203 

Ferine  la  Riviere  80 

Fields,    Milton    F. Opp.  210,  212 

Filmore,  Chas.  W.,  Capt., 

69,  Opp.  70,  74 

Fisk  University   58 

Frederick    Douglass   Home 153 


Freeman,  Sgt Opp.  122 

French  Hospitality   85,  187,  197 

French  Troops 

9th  Army  Corps,  4th  Army     89 
13th  French  Army  Corps.. 88,  90 

35th   French    Division    90 

63d    French    Division    90 

68th  French   Division    88 

157th  French  Division   90 

333d    French  Infantry   89 

Garbon,    Miss    1 52 

German  Propaganda   53 

Glead,  Clarence   212 

Godman,    Leroy,    Capt 48,  61 

Gondrecourt    212 

Gordon,  Lieut 85 

Gould,  Ernest  M.,  Lieut Opp.  58 

Gouraud,  Gen 71 

Gowdy,   Sgt Opp.  128,  129 

Grandlup    82 

Griffin,    Sgt 129 

Griffith,   Rev.  T.   A 29,229 

Cue,    D'Hossus    83 

Gwynne,  Capt 89 

Hagan,    Miss    Helen. . .  .Opp.  26,  153 

Hall,   Capt. 84 

Hampton    Institute    145 

Hardy,  Sgt.  Maj Opp.  128 

Harris,    Miss    20 

Harrison     129 

Haute   Marne   184 

Haute    Soane    52 

Hayward,  Wm.,  Col 69 

Hill  304   90 

Hill,    Leslie    Pinckney 216 

Hindenburg  Line 81 

Hodges,    Chaplain    203 

Holitz  1'Eveque    89 

Howard    University    112,145 

Hubert,  Benj.  F., 

204,  205,  206,  Opp.  206 

Humphrey,  C.   B.,  Col 113,115 

Hunton,    Benjamin    H..  .54,  Opp.  58 

Kurd,  Lieut 85 

Illiteracy    200 

Influenza    150 

Is-Sur-Tille    208 

Jackson,   First  Lieut 85 

Jackson,    Second    Lieut    85 

Jackson,  George  W., 

205,  207,  Opp.  206 

James     129 

Jamison,   Roscoe   C 94 

Jefferson,   Sgt,  Saxaphonist, 

Opp.  222\ 
Jefferson,   M.    M.,   Chaplain, 

203,  Opp.  228 

Jenkins,   L.    C.,   Rev 183 

Jenkins,    Matthew,   Sgt 89 

Jeton,    Sgt Opp.  128,  129 

Jewish    Welfare    Board 227 

Johnson,    Charles    A 212 

Johnson,   Georgia  Douglass, 

8,111,158,232 


INDEX— Continued 


Johnson,    Henry    Opp.  70,  71 

Johnson,  James  Weldon    ....13,107 

Johnson,    Oscar    S 212 

Johnson,  Warwick   123 

Jones,    Sgt 106 

Kansler,    Fritz    250 

Kindal,    Mr 180,246 

King,   Henry    Churchill 228 

Knights    of    Columbus 22,31,227 

La  Cortrine  213 

Labor   Battalions, 

97,  98,  99,  149,  155,  235 

332d  Labor  Battalion   105 

339th   Labor   Battalion 105 

608th   Labor   Battalion 105 

Lacy,   George  W.,   Lieut. ..  69,  74,  84 

Laon    85 

La    Mans    152,154,155 

Leave  Area, 

153,  154,  159,  162,  180,  186 

Lee,   Lieut 85 

Lee,    B.   F.,   Jr 36 

Legion   d'Hqnneur 71 

Lincoln     University     123 

Long,   Sgt.-Maj Opp.  122 

Lorgny     83 

McAllister,    R.    A.,    Chap..  .Opp.  228 

McCook,  Miss   Martha 19 

McCoomer,   Rev 203 

McKenzie,    Mr 212 

Marriott,    Sgt.-Maj., 

116,  Opp.  210,  212 

Marseilles     97,  99,  100,  1 52 

Marshall,   Napoleon    B'.,   Capt., 

69,  Opp.  70,  74 

Mead,    Mrs.    Elsie 19 

Mead,  Oliver,   Band   Master. Opp.  28 
Medical  Officers,  370th  Inf. 

Antoine,   Geo.  W.,   Lieut 83 

Bacote,    Ruf us,    Lieut 83 

Ballard,  Claudius,  Lieut. .  .83,  85 
Dickinson,  Spencer,  Capt. ...  83 
Lawson,  James  F.,  Lieut. ...  83 

Lewis,  Leonard  W.,  Capt 83 

Roe,  Lieut 83 

Tancil,    Lieut 83,84 

White,  James  R.,   Maj 83,84 

Metz    90,99 

Mitchell,   J.   W 212 

Mobilization,    Rapid    116 

Monroe,   Charles   F.,   Sgt Opp.  92 

Moore,  Fred  R 135 

Moore,    Carrie   W.,    Lieut 180 

Moran,  James  L Opp.  210,  212 

Moreau,    Vice- Admiral    93 

Morehouse   College    145 

Morris,    Capt 54 

Morton,  R.  R.,  Mai 136 

Murphy,   G.   M.,  Lieut 80 

Nantes    191 

National  Association  of   Colored 

Women     153 

National    Guard    Organization. .     88 
Nelson,    William.  .204,  211,  Opp.  206 


Nichols,    Franklin   O., 

Opp.  28,  139,  204,  205,  206 

Norvell,    Lieut 85 

Oberlin    College     205 

Ohio  University  127 

Owens,    Mr Opp.  26 

Pack,    Kenneth,    Sgt 127 

Painter,    Lieut 85 

Patton,    Capt 81,82,84 

Paris    16,  17,  241,  242 

Parks,    Mr 180,246 

Pershing,    Gen 55,  154,  221 

Phelps,    Miss    Opp.  26,  1 52 

Pioneer    Infantries    1 55H 

Poincare,   Pres.   and   Madam, 

219,220 

Powell,    Electrician    106 

Powers,  Walter,  Sgt., 

116,  Opp.  210,  210 
Prairie  View  Normal   School...   112 

Price,    Lieut    85 

Price,   Walter    Opp.  28 

Proctor,   George   F.,   Lieut.  .Opp.  84 

Prout,   Capt. 84 

Regiments 

8th   Illinois    112 

15th  New  York 96,112,221 

301st    205 

367th  (Buffaloes)   N.  Y.    ...96,52 

368th     25,48 

369th    25,69 

370th,  111., 

96,  77,  78,  79,  83,  85,  86,  212 

371st     112,25,88,90 

372d    112,88,90,93 

801st   P.    1 127 

802d    P.    1 116,  126 

803d    P.    I, 127,  128 

804th  P.   1 221 

805th  P.  I., 

112,113,114,  115,116,222 

806th  P.   1 116,130,154 

807th   P.   1 149,218,219 

808th  P.  1 123,223 

809th    P.    1 122,149 

811th  P.   1 130 

813th    P.    I. .  124,  132,  235,  245,  246 

814th  P.   1 130 

815th    P.    1 116,132,221,235 

816th    P.    1 116,132,221,235 

Reid,   D.   Lincoln,   Lieut.  .69,  74,  85 

Rembercourt-aux-Port     88 

Rheims    243 

Ridgewayt  Susan   20 

Rioting     191 

Roach,   Reese,    Sgt Opp.  128 

Roberts,    Maj 30,  36 

Roberts,  Needham   Opp.  70,  71 

Roberts,    Spencer,    Sgt 149 

Roberts,   T.   A.,    Col 80,  84 

Robeson,  Chaplain    Opp.  226 

Robinson,    Lieut 85 

Rochon,   Miss    Opp.  26,  152,  154 

Roosevelt,  Theodore    40 


INDEX— Continued 


Roosevelt,  Mrs.  Theodore,  Jr., 

19,219,220 

Rosenwald,  Julius   203 

Rousseau,    Jean    Jacques 166 

Sachs,   Ella   19 

Sadler,    Mr 152,162 

Saint  Nazaire, 

70,  98,  100,  184,  191,  209,  214 

Camp    Guthrie    229 

Camp  Lusitania, 

32,    139,    146,    148,    149,   200,   202, 

203,  214. 

Camp  Montoir   . .  139,  149,  207,  229 

Camp  One   (Hut  5), 

104,  138,  139,  146,205 

Saint    Pierremont    83 

Saint   Sulpice    137 

Salvation    Army    32,  227 

Saunders,    Chester,    Capt 81,  84 

Savoie    160,  163 

Scott,   Emmett    136 

Scroggins,   Mr 180 

Selden,   B.   F Opp.  228 

S.  O.   S.    (Service  of   Supplies) 

Sector   96,  99,  100 

Shaw,    Miss    20 

Shelton,    Lieut 85 

Shepherd,  Wm.   G 237 

Sheppard,  J.   Douglass. Opp.  210,  211 

Sherburne,    Brig.-Gen 64 

Sheridan    129 

Shockley,    Mr 179 

Sierre  River   83 

Signal   Corps  Battalion,   325th..  212 

Slade,    Mrs.    F.    Louis 19 

Sloane,   Wm 12 

Smith,    Henry    106 

Smith,   James   H.,   Capt 82,84 

Songs 

Shovel  Song   109 

There's  a  Long,  Long  Trail..  218 

Spalding,  G.  R.,   Col 114 

Spingarn,    Arthur,    Capt 180 

Stark,    George    Shippen,    Chap., 

Opp.  228 
State        College,        Orangeburg, 

S.    C 204 

Stevedores     97,  98,  99,  149 

Stevenson,   Sgt 222 

Stevenson,  Wm., 

Opp.  16,  34,  139,  168,  169,  179,  224 

Stokes,    Maj 82 

Stokes,   Pvt 203 

Straight    University    58 

Suarez,    Miss    Opp.  26,  152,  155 

Talbert,    Mary    B 153 

Tapscott,    Sgt 106 

Taylor     129 

Testimonials 

Colored  Troops  and  Workers 
from  Mayor  of  Challes-les- 
Eaux  173 

Funeral  Offerings  from  the 
people  of  Chambery 222 


92d   Division    from   Maj. -Gen. 

Ballou     68 

167th     Field     Artillery     from 

Brig.-Gen.   Sherburne   68 

351st     Field     Artillery     from 

Col.    Carpenter     65 

370th    Infantry    from    French 

People     85 

370th      Infantry     from     Gen. 

Vincendon,      59th     D  i  v  . 

French    Army    86 

371st    and    372d    Inf.,    from 

Col.    Quillet    91 

371st    and    372d     Inf.,    from 

Gen.   Goybet    92 

Thomas,    Miss    152,153,246 

Tisdell,    Lieut 85 

Toney,    Sgt 127 

Turner,    Miss    Opp.  26, 1 52 

Tuskegee   Institute.  112,  145,  204,  205 

Tyler,   Sgt.-Maj.,   W.    W 124 

Vannes     185,213,248 

Yauxillion     83 

Verdun     90,  245 

Verriere    , ....     89 

Virginia  Union  University, 

123,  127,  145 

Vodrey,  Lieut 218 

Vosges   Mts 90 

Wallace,   Chaplain    Opp.  228 

Wallace,   W.   S 24,26 

Ward,   Sgt 106 

Ward,  Joseph,   Maj 62 

Warfield,   Lieut 85 

Warner,   CapL    84 

Washington,    Sgt 129 

Watkins,   Mr 179 

Watkins,   Sgt.-Maj 128 

Watson,    Miss    20,155 

Wheelock,  James  E.,  Lieut 224 

White,  Hamilton,  Bugler. .  .Opp.  222 

White    Soldiers    150,161,162 

Whiting,  Joseph  L.205,  207,  Opp.  206 

Wilcox,    Ella   Wheeler 101 

Wilkinson,   Charles   S 106,212 

Williams     129 

Williams,  Mrs 152 

Williams,    Sgt.-Maj 124 

Williams,   Hugo   A.,   Lieut..  .Opp.  84 

Williams,    Ray,    Sgt Opp.  92 

Williams,  Thomas    212 

Williams,   Dr.   Wilberforce 246 

Williamson,    Mrs.    152,153,246 

Wilson,   President    223 

Woolcott,    Alexander    192 

Wright,    Charles    106 

Wright,  John  C., 

139,  140,  159,   149,  204,  205,  206, 
Opp.  206. 

Young,  Charles,  Col 43,44 

Young,   Ulysses,   Sgt., 

131,  Opp.  210,212 
Y.  M.  C.  A.  Headquarters, 

Opp.  16,16.26 
Y.   W.   C.  A 227 


A     000  131  207 


